The status of Bayt al-Maqdis in international law: A studyof the selected UN resolutions

This study has dealt with a distinguished territory, Bayt al-Maqdis, a place at the heart of the world, with the intersection of Africa, Asia, and Europe. It is a prophetic geography for Muslims, Christians, and Jews. Given the importance of the geo-strategic position of Bayt al-Maqdis, where it is at the centre of world power politics, there is no doubt that it would hold the key to war and peace today, tomorrow, and always. After 400 hundred years of relatively steady position during the Ottoman era, the Palestinians' tragedy commenced at the hands of colonial powers at the turn of the 20th Century. They had been 'out of place' in their land. The British pledge to turn Palestine into the homeland of the Jews created great tension in the region. Since the British handed over the question of Palestine to the United Nations in 1946, the issue of the status of Bayt al-Maqdis has been a matter of great controversy. From the very beginning, the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council have adopted numerous resolutions to establish the peace and security in the region. In this study, it has been examined the most significant resolutions and documents in a comprehensive way as part of a more legally informed approach in line with historical methodology.