Occupied Jerusalem: When US President Donald Trump lands in Tel Aviv on Monday for the Israeli-Palestinian leg of his trip, he will hold talks with leaders from both sides, but also visit key sites:
Church of the Holy Sepulchre: Located in the Old City of Jerusalem’s eastern sector, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre contains a 19th-century shrine built on the site where tradition says Jesus was buried and resurrected.
The ornate shrine recently underwent a $3.7-million renovation that restored its stones to their original reddish-yellow and reinforced the heavily visited site.
The church draws tens of thousands of Christian pilgrims for the “Holy Fire” ceremony, the highlight of the Eastern Christian calendar, which takes place on the eve of Orthodox Easter.
One of Christianity’s holiest sites, the church is shared by six denominations: the Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Egyptian Copts, Syrian Orthodox and Ethiopian Orthodox.
Al Buraq Wall: It is the last remnant of the supporting wall of the second Jewish temple, built by King Herod and destroyed by the Romans in 70AD.
Muslims believe Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) tied his winged animal to this wall before his ascent to heaven.
Jews took it over and call it the Wailing Wall or the Western Wall.
It is situated below Al Haram Al Sharif, Islam’s third holiest site.
Trump will be the first sitting US president to visit the site but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been forbidden to join Trump at the site.
Bethlehem: Trump is due to meet Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem, located in the West Bank, occupied by Israel for 50 years.
It is the “little town” where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born and it attracts thousands of pilgrims at Christmas.
Located just 10 kilometres from Occupied Jerusalem across Israel’s separation barrier, it is the site of the Church of the Nativity, which contains an underground cave where Christians believe Mary gave birth to Jesus.
Israel’s separation barrier is part of a project begun in 2002 during the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, that is to extend around 700 kilometres once completed. It is a stark symbol of the occupation for Palestinians, and in Bethlehem it has been covered by graffiti and street art.
Holocaust Memorial: Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, perched on a forested hillside in Occupied West Jerusalem, is among the world’s biggest Holocaust education, documentation and research centres.
The vast complex includes a variety of monuments, archives and displays, including the Hall of Names with its cone structure featuring pictures of Holocaust victims.
Israel Museum: Not far from Yad Vashem is the Israel Museum, where Trump is set to deliver a speech, after the more exotic location of the desert fortress Masada was ruled out.
