Judaization of Jerusalem under the Israeli Occupation: Measures and Developments

Judaization of Jerusalem under the Israeli Occupation: Measures and Developments

Jerusalem with its significant importance for the major Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) faced different processes influencing its religious identity throughout history including Judaization, Christianization, and Islamization. Regarding Judaization, Jerusalem gives a unique example of this process, as the process is still ongoing at present due to the continuity of the Israeli occupation which is based on the concept of “the Jewish national home” excluding others whether Muslims or Christians. This research paper focuses on the Judaization of Jerusalem since the declaration of the Israeli State in 1948 until the present, which is witnessing an intensifying of that process as Israel considers this holy city its capital. Thus, many measures and proceedings of Judaization including replacing Palestinians with Jews through expanding Jewish settlements and demolishing Arab neighborhoods continued to maintain a status of a Jewish majority in Jerusalem and to prove its Jewish identity. This study examined the development and impacts of this Judaization process while describing the various measures applied in Jerusalem to achieve this goal of Judaization until the present, which showed that despite the intensified and continuous Judaization efforts asserted by the Israeli authorities, Jerusalem is still persisting on its non-Jewish elements to preserve its diverse demography and cultural identity.