Swimming against the Tide: Shared Living Organizations in Jerusalem in the Shadow of the Swords of Iron War
Organizations that work to promote shared living constitute a unique enterprise that developed primarily during the past decade, against the background of deteriorating relations between the city’s population groups. Today there are more than 40 initiatives that promote shared living between Jews and Palestinians in Jerusalem. Most of them evolved “from the bottom up” – in light of the dearth of attention to inter-group relations at the municipal level.
Publication Date: December 24, 2023
Writers: Dr. Marik Shtern
Background
The current state of affairs makes it extremely challenging for shared living organizations to pursue their mission. The massacre in the Gaza Envelope on October 7 and the war underway in the south sent powerful shockwaves through the social fabric of Jerusalem. On the face of it, the state of security in the city has not deteriorated substantially relative to the other fronts in the south, the north, and the West Bank. Beneath the surface, however, there are fundamental problems that have worsened during the war and additional ones that erupted during the state of emergency. One of the consequences of the war has been a sharp increase in fear, anxiety, and mistrust between Jews and Palestinians in Jerusalem, alongside a stronger desire for separation.
This review, prepared in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Israel, examines the circumstances of shared living organizations in Jerusalem following the events of October 7 and after two and a half months of war in the south. The information presented here is based on a meeting held on December 17 and attended by approximately 30 representatives from shared living organizations in Jerusalem. At the meeting, participants described how they were coping since October 7, both personally and professionally, and also shared their thoughts about the path forward at the personal and professional levels.
Photo Credit: Yossi Zamir, Shatil Stock