JERUSALEM, April 23, 2026 (WAFA) – Israeli occupation authorities have approved a plan to build a large ultra-Orthodox Jewish religious school (yeshiva) in the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in occupied Jerusalem.
The Palestinian Authority's Jerusalem Governorate said in a statement on Thursday that the approval comes as part of Israel's exploitation of ongoing regional tensions to advance settlement projects aimed at consolidating facts on the ground in the city.
According to the statement, the so-called district planning committee of the Israeli municipality approved on Monday the construction of the yeshiva, named Or Somayach, in the heart of Sheikh Jarrah despite objections from rights groups.
The project includes an 11-story building spanning approximately five dunums at the southern entrance of the neighborhood, opposite the Sheikh Jarrah Mosque, and will include dormitories for hundreds of ultra-Orthodox students as well as housing units for staff.
The governorate warned that the project could significantly alter the demographic and geographic character of the area. It noted that Sheikh Jarrah is one of the most prominent Palestinian neighborhoods in Jerusalem, located just outside the walls of the Old City. It is also home to key institutions such as Orient House—formerly the headquarters of the Palestine Liberation Organization before it was closed by Israeli authorities in 2003—as well as the Palestinian National Theatre and several diplomatic missions.
The statement described the move as part of broader settlement policies in the neighborhood, particularly in areas such as Umm Haroun and northern Sheikh Jarrah, alongside increasing threats to evict dozens of Palestinian families in favor of settler organizations.
It added that establishing such institutions in Palestinian neighborhoods is not merely educational but serves political objectives, including increasing pressure on Palestinian residents and contributing to displacement, alongside home demolitions and neglect of infrastructure.
The Jerusalem Governorate stressed that continued international silence encourages Israeli authorities to press ahead with such measures, calling for urgent action to address the situation.
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