Palestinians in East Jerusalem face severe and systematic violations of their housing and residency rights, including house demolitions, forced displacement, residency revocations, and the denial of family reunification. These policies, which have intensified since October 7th 2023, are part of Israel’s broader system of apartheid and urban planning strategies designed to displace Palestinians and consolidate control. In partnership with Al-Quds University’s Community Action Center (CAC), PAX supports advocacy and documentation efforts to address these injustices.
CAC focusses on housing rights, residency revocations, family reunification denials, and the use of excessive force by the Israeli police against Palestinians. CAC’s key activities include local advocacy targeting international missions and EU representatives, and submissions to the UN Human Rights Council. CAC also organizes webinars with human rights experts, develops documentation tools to track violations and supports community members who face the violations.
Protect Palestinian housing rights in East Jerusalem
What is the problem?
Palestinians in East Jerusalem face systemic and escalating violations of their housing and residency rights, including illegal settlement construction, house demolitions, forced evictions, and residency revocations. Urban planning policies by Israeli authorities further exacerbate the displacement and dispossession of Palestinians, creating a hostile environment aimed at undermining their presence in the city. These policies are part of a broader apartheid system designed to ensure Israeli-Jewish domination over Palestinians in all aspects of life.
Since October 7th 2023, the situation has deteriorated further, with an increase in violations by settlers and the Israeli army and a continuation of the impunity and lack of accountability. East Jerusalem and its Palestinian residents have been subjected to heightened repressive measures. Jerusalem’s Old City has been placed under siege, with Palestinians barred from entering unless they reside within its walls. This has severely impacted the Community Action Center (CAC), forcing staff to work remotely due to restricted access. Reports have emerged of abusive and excessive behaviour by Israeli police, including unwarranted use of force, intimidation, and harassment against Palestinians. Additionally, CAC lawyers have observed a marked increase in the denial of family reunification applications, further fragmenting Palestinian families.
In response, CAC and PAX remain vigilant, documenting new trends and violations, and advocating locally and internationally to ensure accountability and the protection of Palestinians’ housing and residency rights.
PAX Palestine Podcast features interviews with local Palestinian organisations and peaceworkers. PAX, a peace organization based in the Netherlands, works together with committed citizens and partners to protect civilians against acts of war, to end armed violence, and to build a just peace. In Palestine we support local partners in building resilient communities, promoting human security and equality in the political, cultural and social domain, and in fighting the injustices resulting from the protracted occupation.
In 1999 Al-Quds University created the “Community Action Center” (“CAC”), a semi autonomous association, which aims to empower the Palestinian community in East Jerusalem.
The CAC aims to empower the disadvantaged Palestinians of East Jerusalem to access their rights and entitlements and negotiate the complex bureaucratic procedures that control the flow of these rights.
Most Palestinian inhabitants of East Jerusalem are residents and not citizens of Israel. They have to prove that the center of their life is actually in Jerusalem, otherwise they will lose their residency. As Palestinians can’t leave East Jerusalem as they will lose their residency, they need to build new homes for their children in East Jerusalem. But they barely get the permits needed to build new houses, even on their own land property. When they decide to build without a permit, there is a chance to receive a demolition order. They have to demolish their own house. If they don't do it, the authorities will come, do it for them and present them with a huge bill of around a hundred thousand dollars.
The Israeli policies in Jerusalem are made to increase the number of Jewish inhabitants and reduce the number of Palestinians.
Many Palestinians do not know what their rights are, how to deal with the authorities and where to find support. The CAC gives legal assistance, advice and works on advocacy to get the international community involved.
In this episode you can hear General Director Mounir Nuseibeh and Advocacy Officer Munir Marjieh.
To learn more about the CAC you can visit their website https://cac.alquds.edu/en/
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What do we want?
PAX believes the housing and residency rights of Palestinians in East Jerusalem should be fully protected. The ongoing violations of their housing and residency rights, including forced displacement, house demolitions, and residency revocations, must be addressed and halted. These actions undermine Palestinian presence in the city and violate international law. We stand firm in our commitment to defending international law and human rights advocating for accountability, and ensuring that Palestinian voices are heard at local, regional, and international levels.
What are we doing?
CAC, in partnership with PAX, conducts focused advocacy and documentation to address violations of Palestinians’ housing and residency rights in East Jerusalem. CAC monitors and documents key violations, including illegal settlement construction, forcible transfer, house demolitions, evictions, and residency revocations. This evidence forms the basis of our advocacy efforts, which targets both local and international audiences, engaging EU representatives, UN bodies, and the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Furthermore, this evidence serves as the foundation for CAC’s agenda-setting and recommendations to bodies like the UN Special Rapporteur and the UN Commission of Inquiry.
CAC activities include:
- Organizing webinars with international experts
- Conducting missions to Geneva’s UN Human Rights Council
- Developing a documentation map to track violations of Palestinians’ right to education under international law.
Additionally, the Advocacy Unit Coordinator and International Advocacy Officer at CAC visited the Netherlands to connect CAC with Dutch human rights organizations, parliamentarians, and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs to strengthen international awareness and action.
By ensuring continuous monitoring, reporting, and engagement with key stakeholders, we work to protect Palestinian rights, promote accountability, and challenge the policies that enable displacement and dispossession.
What is our goal?
We aim to protect international law and specifically housing and residency rights and counter impunity. We advocate and support Palestinians in East Jerusalem in their ability to live, work, and thrive in the city without fear of displacement or discrimination. Through our partnership with the Community Action Center (CAC), we work to halt illegal settlement construction, forcible displacement, house demolitions, and residency revocations. Ultimately, we want to safeguard the Palestinian community’s cultural, social, and political ties to the city, ensuring their presence is recognized and protected in the face of ongoing challenges. So far we have managed to put several policies and violations on the international agenda and create more awareness about the violations that take place in light of housing and residency rights.
Partners
Contact
Thomas van Gool, projectleider Israël-Palestina