Basic Law: Jerusalem, Capital of Israel חוק יסוד: ירושלים בירת ישראל

Key provisions

• Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capital of Israel
• Seat of the President, Knesset, Government, and Supreme Court
• Protects holy places against desecration and interference with access by members of different religions.
• (2000 amendment) Forbids transfer of any authority over Jerusalem to a foreign body, political or governmental
• Changing section 6's prohibition on transferring authority to a foreign body requires 80 MKs; changing section 7's entrenchment rule requires 61.

Context

The law was enacted in 1980, after Israel extended its law and administration to eastern Jerusalem in 1967. UN Security Council Resolution 478 rejected recognition of the law and called on states to withdraw their diplomatic missions from the city.

Notable amendments

• 2000: Added territorial and authority-transfer provisions.
• 2018: Raised the threshold for changing the authority-transfer prohibition to 80 MKs.

Today

The United States recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital in 2017 and opened its embassy there on 14 May 2018. Nauru opened an embassy in Jerusalem on 7 September 2026.