Jerusalem Story - The City Retold

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Who Are the Palestinians of Jerusalem?

Palestinians comprise nearly half the population of Jerusalem and have built, and shaped, the city for centuries, yet their stories are rarely told.

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Precarious Status

Most Palestinian Jerusalemites have a legal status that is unique in the world: Although they are indigenous, they are stateless.

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Spiritual and Religious Life

For centuries, Jerusalem has been holy to the three monotheistic religions. What are the realities facing those who wish to worship in this treasured holy space today?

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Land

In Jerusalem as in the rest of the country, land is the locus of the struggle for control. Here we explore the status of land in Jerusalem and its environs.

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Backgrounder Jerusalem: A Closed City

Closure, a “temporary” measure introduced in 1991, is the system that controls Palestinians’ movement and blocks millions from accessing Jerusalem.

Video Behind the Wall

Teresa, 22, lives in Ramallah, but she’s never seen nearby Jerusalem due to Israel’s Separation Wall and permit regime. What lies behind the wall?

Personal Story Daydreaming on Her Daily Commute Got M Banned from Jerusalem

With each passing day, Jerusalem is getting harder to reach for Palestinians outside the city.

Graphic When Palestinian Jerusalemites Must Prove That Jerusalem Is Their “Center of Life”

Palestinians who hold permanent-resident status must satisfy the state that Jerusalem is their “center of life” in order to continue enjoying that status. But how frequently?

Precarious Status
Graphic The Uniquely Impermanent Resident Status Israel Gives Palestinians in Jerusalem

How Israel’s permanent-resident status constrains and contains Palestinians’ lives in Jerusalem, where the majority have been forced to hold this status.

Photo Album The Armenians of Jerusalem

Armenians have centuries of history in Jerusalem and have made important contributions to the city’s societal and cultural fabric.

Blog Post “My Destiny to Live in Jerusalem Was a Great Privilege”: John Rose and the Armenians of Jerusalem

British Palestinian Armenian John Rose recounts his long history in Jerusalem in a memoir. A book review.

Blog Post The Origins of an Iconic Jerusalem Art Form: Armenian Ceramics

Feast of Ashes by Sato Moughalian chronicles the origins of the Armenian ceramic tradition in Jerusalem, first introduced there by the author’s grandfather, a refugee from the Armenian genocide. A book review.

Blog Post The Looting of Palestinian Jerusalem in 1948

A thorough historical study based on meticulous archival research debunks founding myths. A book review.

Video The Great Book Robbery

The story of how Palestinian homes in Jerusalem (and elsewhere) whose owners fled in search of temporary safety were systematically looted, including their libraries, even before the war had ended

Personal Story The Baq‘a Zone Ghetto: A Memoir of a Palestinian Jerusalemite Who Remained in West Jerusalem after the War

Jacob Nammar, whose family established the al-Nammamreh neighborhood in al-Baq‘a, shares the trauma his family went through in what became West Jerusalem.

Short Take Mapping the Takeover: Israeli Settlement Expansion and the Judaization of Jerusalem

Israeli settlement expansion and land seizures reach unprecedented levels in 2024, report reveals.

Feature Story When Ramadan and Lent Coincide, Most Jerusalemites Observe a Fast

The smells of Ramadan and Lent meals suffuse the Old City this year, intoxicating the senses and tantalizing those who are fasting.

Blog Post The J&J Design Project in Jerusalem: Modern Jewelry with a Touch of Palestinian Heritage

Jerusalemite jewelry designer is preserving Palestinian heritage through her designs.

Education Bio Mahera Dajani

An educator who has been leading Dar Al-Tifel for over 30 years

Feature Story New Checkpoints, Gates, and Procedures Paralyze Palestinian Mobility across West Bank, Including East Jerusalem

As soon as the ceasefire in Gaza took effect, Israel turned on the West Bank just as Ramadan was getting underway.

Photo Essay Palestinians Are Alert and in Mourning as They Mark Second Ramadan Since the Gaza Genocide Began

A subdued atmosphere prevails in the Old City during Ramadan as Gaza continues to suffer and Israel cracks down on Jerusalem.

Graphic How Israel Restricts Muslims’ Access to Pray in al-Aqsa Mosque

A visual overview of the multilayered points at which Israel blocks Muslims from accessing their holiest site, even during Ramadan