פרסומים – מכון ירושלים למחקרי מדיניות

Summary

Publication Year: 2020

Authors:

Ahmed Asmar

Ras al-‘Amud is located to the east of Silwan and the Old City, south of the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives, and north of the Arab A Sawahreh Bedouin tribal area. Ras al-‘Amud is, in effect, an extension of Silwan, and most of the land plots in the neighborhood are owned by the original residents of Silwan. When Silwan became overcrowded as a result of rapid development during the twentieth century, its extended families began to spread towards Ras al-‘Amud. In recent decades families from other East Jerusalem neighborhoods have moved to Ras al-‘Amud, and in particular families that trace back to Hebron.

The sub-neighborhood of Wadi Qadum spans 630 dunams, Located south of the old Jerusalem-Jericho Road, Wadi Qadum spans both sides of a channel that connects with the Qidron Valley. To the east it borders the Security Fence and the municipal boundary of Jerusalem (across from the village of Abu Dis); to the west it borders the old Bethlehem Road, which linked Bethlehem with East Jerusalem during Jordanian rule.

This study is part of a series of studies on Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, conducted by the Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research. The aim of the studies is to produce a profile of the society and infrastructures of the city’s Arab neighborhoods in a range of areas, in order to promote informed, proactive efforts to improve the quality of life for East Jerusalem’s residents. In addition to describing the situation, the studies are aimed at identifying mechanisms for growth and development that will improve the socioeconomic conditions of these neighborhoods and villages. We believe that research combining practice with policy recommendations provides a basis for rectifying social and political injustices, with a view to creating a properly functioning city for all its residents. Our research methods include fieldwork, in-depth interviews with residents, the use of official authorities’ and research institutes’ databases, and roundtables with the participation of neighborhood, municipality, and civil society representatives.

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