I d like to request that you not repeat the characterizations and suggestions you made in your last two paragraphs There are no doubt I m sure people who hold their respective positions because of political zeal but there are no doubt people who hold their positions because after reading the opinions presented by those who disagree with them still believe they re correct Your own description of the two sides seems to more clearly get at the problem here There is nothing in the dictionary or in the general definition of a capital that makes recognition a prerequisite for a city being a capital but there s also nothing in the dictionary saying it isn t Likewise there is nothing in the dictionary or in the general definition of a country that makes recognition a prequisite for a region being a country but there s also nothing in the dictionary saying it isn t Yet in the latter case I m sure most here would agree that without recognition a country is nothing and really is not a country at all Does the same apply to capitals Well we have limited situations in which this is even a question and unfortunately the primary situation is this one coming in the context of a bitter and ultimately stupid conflict I personally think the same standard does not apply to capitals as there is something physical e g government institutions place of residence of the head of state to denote the capital But if one operates under the belief that a state and we all agree Israel is one right can be without a capital then maybe one can believe that recognition is a pre requisite for capital status Okay I don t believe that but go ahead