The Old City

A tourist site dedicated to the Jewish people’s longing for Jerusalem was launched in the Old City’s Muslim Quarter in a 14th century structure from the Mamluk period

A tourist site dedicated to the ascendance of Jewish people to Jerusalem throughout the generations appeared recently in the media. The first tourist site of its kind, it is called...

Conference: “Recalculating Route”: Navigating between Antiquities, Sanctity and Nationalism in Jerusalem

Thursday, 30 June 2016, 17:00-21:00 At The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute Ancient sites in Jerusalem’s historic basin are in many cases also sacred sites and tourist attractions. These sites create...

Prevent the transfer of the library and archaeological artefacts from the Rockefeller Museum

 May 4, 2016 The organization Emek Shaveh petitioned the High Court of Justice demanding it prevent the transfer of the Rockefeller Museum’s archaeological library as well as all the archaeological...

Press release: Emek Shaveh’s response to UNESCO’s Executive Board’s decision on Palestine (Executive Board 199th session)

In response to UNESCO’s Executive Board’s decision on Palestine from last week (Executive Board 199th session on Occupied Palestine) we would like to say the following: We regret that in...

Selectively Sacred: Holy Sites in Jerusalem and its Environs

Introduction In this document, we examine how the Israeli government authorities and legal system address the issue of holy places. The government, legal and judicial authorities in Israel attempt to...

Press release: Emek Shaveh Demands from Attorney General that Establishment of the new Western Wall Plaza Take Place through the Planning Committees and with Public Involvement

February 2, 2016 The government of Israel’s decision to extend the prayer area at the Western Wall into the archaeological area in order to create a separate Reform and Conservative...

Update – Kedem Center in Silwan and Davidson Center at the foot of the Temple Mount / Al-Aqsa Compound

 Important Israeli court and building committee decisions were recently delivered regarding efforts by right-wing organization Elad (An Israeli organization promoting Jewish settlement in Silwan that uses archaeology to strengthen Israeli...

Update: The State Attorney requests permission to petition the High Court of Justice against letting the Elad Foundation take over the management of the ‘Davidson Center’

In October, the Jerusalem District Court approved an agreement to transfer the management of the Davidson Center Archaeological Park to the Elad Foundation. The State’s decision to appeal to the...

Underground Jerusalem: The excavation of tunnels, channels, and underground spaces in the Historic Basin

Introduction The majority of the area of the Old City is densely built. As a result, there are very few open spaces in which archaeological excavations can be undertaken. From...

Archaeological Activities in Politically Sensitive Areas in Jerusalem’s Historic Basin

 Preface Jerusalem’s Old City and the Historic Basic (also called the Holy Basin) contain some of the most important sites to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. On account of its religious...