Before 1948, when the state of Israel was established, an event Palestinians call the Nakba (Catastrophe), Jaffa was the cultural capital of Palestine. The city is mentioned in the Bible and is now a mixed Jewish and Arab city in Israel. It was known as the 'Bride of the Sea' and boasted numerous newspapers, cinemas, theatres and sports clubs. About 90,000 residents fled during the fighting in 1948, and only a few thousand stayed, but it is now a vibrant mixed city home to Muslims, Christians and Jews. Adam LeBor investigates the tensions and the need for all communities to co-exist.
—Adam LeBor & Linda Sills