Little Known Facts in the Israel - Palestine Debate
Among the most religiously significant and disputed pieces of land in Jerusalem is the Temple Mount / Haram al-Sharif. It is the place where Jews believetheir patriarch Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac during the second millennium B.C. It is also the place where Muslims believe that their prophet Mohammad rose to heaven in the seventh century.
After the January 2006 legislative elections, the 24-member Palestinian Authority cabinet was made up by a Hamas' member majority, including one woman and one Christian.
Jerusalem is mentioned in the Old Testament over 650 times. Although not mentioned by name in the Koran, Islamic tradition holds Jerusalem to be the location of the Prophet Mohammed's night journey to the "furthest mosque."
The 1967 War (a.k.a. the Six Day War) between Israel and the neighboring countries of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria resulted in Israeli control of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, and Sinai Peninsula.
Approximately 606 square miles, or 16.6% of the entire West Bank (including East Jerusalem), will lie on the Israeli side of the West Bank fence/wall, when Israel completes its construction. This area is home to approximately 17,000 Palestinians in the West Bank and 220,000 in East Jerusalem.
The Israel-Palestine region's largest source of water comes from natural aquifers that supply 21.19 billion cubic feet (bcf) of groundwater per year. They provide 17.48 bcf/year to Israel (35% of its annual water consumption) compared to 3.71 bcf/year to Palestinians in the West Bank (90% of their annual consumption).
In 1986, Mordechai Vanunu, former technician at the Dimona nuclear plant in Israel, revealed pictures and information regarding Israel's nuclear program portraying Israel as being a nuclear threat. He was later convicted for treason and imprisoned for 18 years.
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