Israel Advances Major Property Expropriation in Jerusalem’s Old City in Vicinity of Al-Aqsa Mosque/Temple Mount

On May 17, in the framework of a special government meeting convened to mark “Jerusalem Day,” the Israeli government approved the establishment of inter-ministerial committee “to consider legal aspects of expropriation in the Old City.” The decision refers to a 1968 land expropriation order for an area within Jerusalem’s Old City, which served as the basis for the expropriation of properties in the Jewish Quarter and the displacement of its Palestinian residents at the time. According to the new government decision, the expropriation order issued 58 years ago was never fully implemented. This specifically concerns properties along the southern side of Chain Gate Street (Bab al-Silsila Street), a strategic and central corridor along the seamline between the Muslim and Jewish Quarters that connects Jaffa Gate directly to Al-Aqsa/Temple Mount. See exaction location on map below.

The government now appears poised to advance the expropriation of these properties under a decades-old order, with the new committee tasked with devising the mechanism for its implementation. The committee has been instructed to complete an action plan within 12 months.

The proposal to revive the expropriation order was reportedly initiated by Minister Yariv Levin, who serves as both Minister of Jerusalem Affairs and Jewish Heritage and the Justice Minister, and is one of the chief architects of the Israeli judicial overhaul. According to reports, the team will be comprised of representatives from the Government Secretariat, Justice Ministry, Finance Ministry, State Attorney’s Office, National Security Council, Foreign Ministry, Housing Ministry, Israel Land Authority, Jerusalem Municipality, and the Company for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter — underscoring the far-reaching political, legal, diplomatic, demographic, and security implications of the move.

According to reports, the expropriation order concerns dozens of properties along Chain Gate Street, many of which have been inhabited by Palestinian families for generations. If this initiative is implemented, it would lead to further Israeli takeover of properties in the Old City, specifically in the heart of the Muslim Quarter and the displacement of dozens of Palestinian families, businesses, and important historic Muslim and Palestinian institutions. This includes the renowned Khalidi Library Complex which is located on this street and has long faced sustained pressure and attempted takeovers by the state and Israeli settler groups, most recently in 2024.

Although some Israeli media reports referred to the issuance of eviction orders and the imminent expulsion of area residents and seizure of their assets, there is currently no evidence that such orders have been issued at present.

It should be underscored that this is one of the most politically and religiously sensitive routes in the Old City which directly leads to the Chain Gate of Al-Aqsa/Temple Mount — the very gate through which Temple Movement activists exit after their visits to the Mount. In this context, displacing Palestinian residents and seizing their properties along this street would enable Israel to further assert its control over this strategic corridor and undermine its Muslim and Palestinian presence and character. The area already contains numerous settler compounds established through the eviction of Palestinians and the takeover of their homes for Jewish settlement and institutions over the years. It is therefore assumed that the properties designated for expropriation on Chain Gate Street would ultimately be transferred to and occupied by Jewish settlers, entities, and/or state bodies.

Against the backdrop of growing Israeli moves to entrench Israeli dominance over Al-Aqsa/Temple Mount and push out Palestinian and Muslim presence, the attempt to alter the balance of control and property ownership on Chain Gate Street should be understood as part of broader Israeli measures in the Old City and surrounding areas to consolidate its hold over the space. These include settler efforts to take possession of iconic Christian properties in Jaffa Gate—the Imperial and Petra Hotels–and attempts to seize strategic assets in the Armenian Quarter alongside the ongoing forced evictions, home demolitions, and expansion of Israeli settlement activity in Silwan.

Chain Gate Street (Bab al-Silsila Street) is marked by a blue line in the center of the map

For higher resolution map, click here