Mount Scopus is often mentioned casually in political debates about Jerusalem, sometimes even framed as a “contested” or “colonial” site. That framing collapses under the weight of history. Mount Scopus is not a modern invention, not an ideological project, and certainly not an obstacle to peace. It is one of the clearest examples of Jewish historical continuity in Jerusalem and also one of the strongest proofs that Israel’s institutions are fundamentally inclusive.

The name Mount Scopus (Har HaTzofim) comes from the Greek Skopos, meaning “lookout.” During the Second Temple period, it was the first point from which Jewish pilgrims approaching Jerusalem from the north could see the Temple. That moment carried such spiritual weight that Jewish law required pilgrims to pause and tear their garments in reverence. Long before nation-states or international resolutions, Mount Scopus was already embedded in Jewish religious life.

Its strategic importance was equally clear. In 70 CE, Roman legions camped on Mount Scopus during the siege that ended with the destruction of the Second Temple. Over the centuries Byzantine, Islamic,........

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