Israel Approves Massive Ultra-Orthodox Yeshiva Plan for Sheikh Jarrah

On Monday, April 20, the Jerusalem District Planning Committee formally approved the plan to establish a major ultra-Orthodox yeshiva (religious Jewish school), known as Ohr Somayach, in the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. Objections filed by Ir Amim, together with the Sheikh Jarrah Community Association, were dismissed.

The Ohr Somayach Yeshiva plan (TPS No. 68858) calls for the construction of an 11-story building, which will include a dormitory for hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jewish students and housing for faculty. If implemented, the plan would significantly increase the settler presence in the neighborhood, raise security concerns for Palestinian residents, and further alter the character of the space.

The plan is designated for roughly 5 dunams of land along the southern entrance to Sheikh Jarrah directly across from the Sheikh Jarrah Mosque. The parcel of land is in close proximity to settler enclaves in the neighborhood where dozens of Palestinian families are threatened with eviction and settler takeovers of their homes. It is likewise located across from an Israeli military memorial, which recently underwent largescale renovations, leading to its expansion.

Land Initially Designated to Serve Local Residents Transferred to Yeshiva

According to the original outline plan for the neighborhood, the land is designated for public buildings, such as educational institutions, to serve local neighborhood residents. However, in 2007, the municipality relinquished the plot of land in order to allow the Israel Land Authority to allocate it for the construction of an ultra-Orthodox Yeshiva. The land was subsequently transferred to Ohr Somayach Institutions without a transparent tender process, who ultimately initiated and submitted the plan for construction of the yeshiva.

Ohr Somayach, a well-known orthodox educational entity, has branches located in Australia, Canada, South Africa, the United States, and United Kingdom with many of its yeshiva students in Jerusalem coming from abroad. According to the Israeli Registrar of Associations, Ohr Somayach received more than 19 million shekels in international donations in 2024. Among them, Ohr Somayach International, a non-profit registered in the US, contributed over 5 million NIS to the organization, while Canadian Friends of Ohr Somayach donated 6.4 million NIS – both of which enjoy tax exempt status in their respective countries. Other donations of hundreds of thousands of shekels were given by private donors and corporations in Austria, South Africa, Switzerland and the UK over the past few years.

Israeli Authorities Revived Plan Despite Major Issues

After being shelved by the District Planning Committee five years ago due to planning deficiencies and flaws raised at the time by Ir Amim, the Israeli authorities revived the plan in early 2025. The resumed advancement of this plan should be seen in the larger context of heightened efforts to expand Israeli settlement in the neighborhood and displace its Palestinian residents. This includes ongoing eviction threats against Palestinian families and advancement of new settlement plans under the guise of “urban renewal” for Umm Haroun and the Menachem Begin complex in northern Sheikh Jarrah. Urban renewal plans entail the demolition of existing structures and the construction of new buildings in their place. This mechanism is being exploited by the state and settler groups to circumvent the protections afforded to Palestinian residents under protected tenancy and evict entire families in one fell swoop for the establishment of Jewish settlements.

Together, these measures create an ever-increasing stranglehold on Sheikh Jarrah marked by heightened displacement and dispossession of the local Palestinian community. Instead of remaining a vibrant Palestinian neighborhood, it risks becoming a fragmented enclave punctuated by major Israeli settlements that sever the center of East Jerusalem from the Old City and its northern areas.

The yeshiva plan is outlined in light blue along the southwestern side of the map

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