A Stranglehold on Sheikh Jarrah–New Tools for Israeli Takeover and Palestinian Displacement

For decades, state-backed settler groups have spearheaded efforts to take control of large parts of the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. Situated just north of the Old City and adjacent to West Jerusalem, this Palestinian neighborhood’s strategic location makes it a prime target for settler activities and measures aimed at displacing its residents and altering the area’s character. Since the 1970s, dozens of families have faced eviction by setter groups under discriminatory laws that allow Jews to reclaim properties from before 1948, while denying Palestinians the same right. The state has often labeled these cases as “private real estate disputes” as a means to distance itself from these moves and abdicate its responsibility for the attempted largescale expulsion of Palestinians from their homes and communities.

However, as mass takeover attempts have proved unsuccessful, the state is now at the forefront of these efforts, moving beyond the typical “private property dispute” refrain to introducing tools of state-driven dispossession. As Ir Amim’s new report reveals, alongside longstanding eviction cases, the state is now employing new measures to expand control over Sheikh Jarrah and accelerate the displacement of the local residents. These include large-scale “urban renewal” projects totaling nearly 2,000 housing units for Israelis—more than the total number of homes in the entire neighborhood—at the expense of the local Palestinian population, while placing dozens of families under imminent threat of eviction.  In parallel to this, land registration processes (settlement of land title) were initiated and completed on several plots of land in the area, enabling state and settler bodies to seize properties and register them under Jewish ownership. Additional tools include expropriating land and reappropriating public spaces for Jewish institutions, investing in Israeli national-religious projects, and using heritage and tourist initiatives to reinforce settler presence as is done in Silwan and around the Old City.

Together, these measures create an ever-increasing stranglehold on Sheikh Jarrah and could fundamentally transform the neighborhood. 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.

Ir Amim’s report emphasizes that Sheikh Jarrah is more than just a neighborhood; it is a prominent symbol of the Palestinian struggle in Jerusalem and representative of the broader struggle over the character, identity, and future of the entire city.