Jerusalem is one of the most discussed and disputed cities in the world, primarily because of its symbolic and physical importance for three monotheistic religions, but also due to theongoing Israel–Palestine conflict, which has implications for international relations and political interactions in the Middle East. Political discussionsregarding Jerusalem are often conducted in a trial-like way, with accusations, defence, argumentation, and counter-argumentation. This article shows that the history of Jerusalem is the main ingredient in the commemorative narratives constituting the foundation of the Israeli identity politics of Jerusalem and for legitimizing Israeli claims on the city. These narratives are used as common references in the daily vocabulary of Israeli society and politics. They furthermore connect to a number of city policies and strategies of territoriality regarding what Jerusalem should be in the future. For every Israeli narrative there is a Palestinian counter-narrative. There is thus no common and accepted truth about the history, the everyday life, the development, or the future of the city. This article focuses mainly on the Israeli Jerusalem narratives as the city is controlled and de-facto annexed by the state of Israel. The purpose of this article is threefold; 1. to identify commemorative narratives related to the city, 2. to analyze the relation between these narratives and the construction of city policy and strategies of territoriality, 3. to discuss commemorative narratives as an analytical tool to understand claims in a conflict situation.