Located just four km northeast of Jerusalem, the Palestinian neighborhood of ‘Anata is largely cut off from the city due to the Separation Wall, which surrounds it on all sides except for a single, narrow northern exit (see Neighborhoods beyond the Wall). That exit is itself encircled by Israeli settlements, along with additional checkpoints and barriers. In the background is Pisgat Ze’ev—an Israeli settlement northwest of ‘Anata—parts of which are built on ‘Anata’s land.
‘Anata is home to about 40,000 Palestinians who can access Jerusalem only through a congested gate via the Shu‘fat refugee camp or by taking a 13 km detour around settlements south of Ramallah to loop back toward the city. ‘Anata is further isolated by the road commonly referred to as the “Apartheid Road,” which separates it from the area allocated for the Israeli E1 plan and the Anatot military base, which are both extending onto ‘Anata’s formerly extensive lands (see Israel Is Besieging Palestinian Towns and Villages outside Jerusalem, to the Northwest and Northeast).