The Wall through Abu Dis

Abu Dis, a Palestinian town located east of Jerusalem, once served as an important urban and residential center for Palestinians. However, since the construction of Israel’s Separation Wall in the early 2000s, its connections to Jerusalem have been significantly severed (see The Separation Wall). Considered illegal under international law, the wall divided Palestinian neighborhoods and disrupted established routes, ties, and services between them, ultimately fragmenting Jerusalemite communities socially, economically, and geographically. In Abu Dis, sections of the wall take the form of imposing concrete structures that run directly through the built-up urban landscape, even splitting streets, illustrating how the wall became embedded in the town’s everyday life.