This report, comprising the testimonies of 25 women living in Palestinian communities in East Jerusalem, sheds light on some of the personal stories behind the headlines. Undertaken as part of the project “Protect the Rights and Improve the Resilience of Vulnerable Communities in East Jerusalem” the report collates evidence from women’s lived experiences of barriers to family reunification and residency rights; house demolitions; settler violence and encroachment; police violence, night raids and arrests and freedom of worship. The common theme running through the testimonies is a sense of insecurity and injustice arising out of the lack of accountability and the absence of a political solution.
It is widely perceived that Jerusalem has reached a dangerous boiling point of polarisation and violence not seen since the end of the second intifada in 2005 and this perception is graphically confirmed via the testimonies in this report. Via the illustrations of the many bureaucratic hurdles placed in the way of Palestinian residents in East Jerusalem to move freely, marry who they wish and experience secure home ownership the report provides a clear picture of a community deliberately and systematically placed under enormous physical and psychological pressure by the prevailing authority.