UNESCO’s Latest Jerusalem Resolution – Delayed/Dampened by Consensus
In recent years the United States and Israel have railed against resolutions in UNESCO critical of Israel, and in particular against resolutions critical of Israeli actions and policy in Jerusalem. This year — to the backdrop of Trump’s historic policy shift on Jerusalem (which was roundly condemned by the UN General Assembly) and of ongoing […]
Status Quo is Changing on the Temple Mt/Haram al-Sharif
Over the recent Passover holiday (March 3 – April 7), activities focused on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif confirmed a number of important, and growing, trends. These trends have serious implications for security and stability not only at this sensitive site, but in Jerusalem as a whole and beyond, given the capacity for events at the […]
The Changing Status Quo on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif – Trends & Implications
The Changing Status Quo on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif – Trends & Implications Over the recent Passover holiday (March 3 – April 7), activities focused on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif confirmed a number of important, and growing, trends. These trends have serious implications for security and stability not only at this sensitive site, but in […]
The Israeli Government’s Creation of a Settler Realm in and around Jerusalem’s Old City
The Israeli Government’s Creation of a Settler Realm in and around Jerusalem’s Old City In recent weeks and months, the world’s focus, as it relates to Jerusalem, has been fixed on important issues like the formal shift in American policy vis-a-vis Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and questions related to moving its embassy, and like efforts […]
Special Edition: The Israeli Government’s Creation of a Settler Realm in and around Jerusalem’s Old City
In recent weeks and months, the world’s focus, as it relates to Jerusalem, has been fixed on important issues like the formal shift in American policy vis-a-vis Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and questions related to moving its embassy, and like efforts in the Knesset to redraw the city’s borders both to include West Bank settlements […]
Why Is Jerusalem Municipality Targets UN & Churches for Taxes?
The Jerusalem Municipality has declared its intention to start collecting municipal taxes (called “arnona”) on 887 properties belonging to various churches and UN institutions in Jerusalem. This move, initiated by Jerusalem Mayor Barkat, is a major deviation from long standing government and municipality policies regarding taxation. To understand what is happening here requires first understanding […]
A New Neighborhood to Expand the Footprint of the settlement of Gilo
On February 21, the Jerusalem Municipality’s planning committee will consider Town Planning Scheme 125195, aka the Southeastern Gilo Master Plan (see the agenda of the committee in Hebrew here). According to the plan, 2,992 units could be built in a new neighborhood on the southeastern slopes between Gilo and Bethlehem, to the west of the […]
New Checkpoint to Prevent Al-Walajeh Residents from Accessing Their Land & Spring
In a recent report, we warned that the Jerusalem Municipality was getting set to make life harder for the residents of the embattled village of el-Walajeh. This is now coming to pass: Israel has started building the new Ein Yael checkpoint between Jerusalem and the settlement of Har Gilo, at the southern exit of Jerusalem. […]
The Site for the New U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem: What You Need to Know (So Far)
The Trump Administration has reportedly started moving ahead with its plan to relocate the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Below is an examination of what is known so far about these plans. A map showing the location of the site for the planned embassy and the surrounding area can be viewed/downloaded […]
A New Neighborhood to Expand the Footprint of the settlement of Gilo
On February 21, the Jerusalem Municipality’s planning committee will consider Town Planning Scheme 125195, aka the Southeastern Gilo Master Plan (see the agenda of the committee in Hebrew here). According to the plan, 2,992 units could be built in a new neighborhood on the southeastern slopes between Gilo and Bethlehem, to the west of the […]