If you were to judge by the reporting of the international media, Jerusalem today is a city waiting to explode.

The Israeli government is accused of building on Palestinian land in Gilo. Actually Gilo is a full suburb of Jerusalem with over 30,000 residents, and the Jerusalem Municipal Planning Committee has also granted permits for 5,000 new apartments to be built for Palestinians in the east of the city.

In parallel, thousands of ultra-orthodox Jews have been demonstrating violently against the opening on the Sabbath of the local Intel factory.

The fact is that commercially, Jerusalem is one on the most important facets of Israel’s hightech community. And this statement does not just rest on Intel’s existing complex in the city. For example, this coming week, the corner-stone of a new IDPj factoy will be laid, which will employ a further 200 locals.

According to the BioJerusalem website, “nearly half of the biotech research and half of the medical research in Israel is conducted in Jerusalem at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and its affiliate Hadassah Medical Center”. In fact, down the road from Intel, a new nanotech centre is being completed.

Israel’s capital city hosts many of the world’s leaders in solar energy. LUZ began its history in Jerusalem. GSE has created a new technology for solar panels. Leviathan (wind energy) and Cequesta (water treatment) lead the way in other aspects of the alternative energy business.

Jerusalem has an amazing biblical and modern history. If left to the ill of extrmists or the simplistic writings of journalist meeting deadlines, the true successes of the city will be lost to the world.