Settlements: Jewish Communities in East Jerusalem

East Jerusalem was formally recognized as part of Israel by Israel's Supreme Court in 1967; however, the international community considers Jewish communities beyond the 1949 armistice line as illegel settlements. Before 1865, the entire population of Jerusalem lived inside the Old City walls, what today would be considered East Jerusalem. Later, when the city expanded due to population growth, both Jews and Arabs began to build in new areas of the city.

By partition in 1947, a thriving Jewish community was living in the eastern part of Jerusalem, an area that included the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. This area also contains many sites of religious importance, including the City of David, the Temple Mount and the Western Wall. In addition, major institutions such as Hebrew University and Hadassah Hospital are on Mount Scopus, in eastern Jerusalem.

The only time the eastern part of Jerusalem was exclusively Arab was between 1949 and 1967 because Jordan occupied the area and forcibly expelled all the Jews.