Jerusalem

Jerusalem has been the focus of much study by international lawyers and political scientists. That body of literature dates only from the late 1940s, when a proposal to recommend the partition of Palestine came under consideration at the United Nations. During the period of British control (1917–1948), Jerusalem was made the administrative capital of Palestine where the mandatory authorities were based. Prior to the First World War, the sanjak of Jerusalem, which included Bethlehem, Hebron, Jaffa, Gaza, and Beersheba, formed part of an administrative area within the Turkish Empire. It had representatives in the Turkish parliament, who participated in legislative work for the Empire. As a result of this history, the literature on Jerusalem’s status dates only from the mid-twentieth century. That said, the literature has been voluminous. Contention has raged over Jerusalem’s status. Scholars have presented sharply different analyses. Some focus on the religious interest in Jerusalem as a basis for resolving its legal status. Others focus on more traditional factors of international law. The issue is one that is to some extent unique in the literature on sovereignty and status of territory, because rarely is focus placed on a single city. The name “Jerusalem” is used in this bibliography, since that name is commonly found in English-language sources. It is derived from the Hebrew name for the city. The Arabic name is al-Quds.