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Basic Law: Jerusalem, Capital of Israel (1980)

A basic (quasi-constitutional) law enacted by the Knesset on 30 July 1980, under the initiative of the Begin government. It determined that "Jerusalem, complete and united" is the capital of Israel and the seat of the President, Knesset and Supreme Court. This definition implicitly includes the Historical Basin and the rest of East Jerusalem, taken over from Jordan during the 1967 Six Day War in what is known in Israel as the liberation or unification of Jerusalem, as well as 64sqkm of West Bank territory added to the city limits. The law also provided for the protection of holy sites in the city and prioritized it with regard to government aid. A 2000 amendment to the law prohibited the transfer of sovereign or municipal authority over any part of Jerusalem to any foreign entity, a provision that can only be amended by an absolute majority in the Knesset. In response to the law, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 478, which denounced it and called on member states to withdraw their diplomatic missions from Jerusalem.