Palestinians in Silwan’s al-Bustan ordered to demolish homes for Jerusalem’s King’s Garden

James H. Amos • August 23, 2026 00:35

Forced self-demolition in Silwan during Eid al-Adha

At the bottom of a steep, tightly packed valley beneath the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City, the past few weeks have seen the ground churned up by bulldozers and demolition machinery. Residents of al-Bustan, in the Silwan neighbourhood, have been told to leave their homes as part of plans for the King’s Garden, a biblical-themed park. For many families, knocking down their own houses is the least expensive option.

Mujahid Badran, a 29-year-old Palestinian and father of three, spent the first days of Eid al-Adha (one of Islam’s holiest dates) tearing down his own home in Silwan, in East Jerusalem. With help from relatives, a sledgehammer and two pneumatic drills, he began dismantling the 75 square metres he built in 2019. Last week, after already paying the equivalent of tens of thousands of euros in fines, legal fees and demolition costs, Badran was visited by Israeli police.

“They weren’t satisfied. They told me: ‘Either you carry on or we will.’ I didn’t want to endanger the neighbouring houses by continuing the demolition myself, so I let them finish,” he told Haaretz. His biggest worry is what happens to his children: “Where will they live? The oldest understands everything. They were born and grew up here. It’s very hard.”

Demolitions accelerate

Al-Bustan, Silwan and the King’s Garden project

Badran is one of around 1450 Palestinians living in al-Bustan, in Silwan-an area Israeli authorities want to level in order to create the King’s Garden, a biblical-inspired park linked to traditions about King Solomon and connected to the tourist and archaeological circuit of the so-called City of David, run by the pro-settlement group Elad.

International opposition and talks between residents and the Jerusalem Municipality held the plan up for years, but in recent months demolitions have sped up under pressure from local forces, the Hebrew-language daily reports. During the Eid holiday period alone, at least seven demolition orders were issued, adding to more than 50 over the last two years. Families were given three days to tear down their homes, “otherwise forces would come and demolish them, charging the cost to the families,” said Mahmoud Awadallah, from Jerusalem.

According to the journalist, “many of these homes are not recent”; they were built before the start of the Israeli occupation in 1967.

Following orders from the Jerusalem Municipality, 60-year-old Omar Abu Rajab also demolished the home where he lived in al-Bustan, now at the centre of an aggressive campaign to remove Palestinians. Still grieving the recent death of his mother, he said municipal representatives came to his door and handed him a demolition order. With relatives’ help, Omar went ahead himself-so as not to be forced to hire a demolition contractor and, in effect, pay for the destruction of his own home.

Only 7% of Palestinian homes approved

As in many other cases, the Jerusalem Municipality argues that the homes of Mujahid Badran and Omar Abu Rajab were built “without permits and illegally”. Human rights organisations, however, have long documented a systemic disparity between Israelis and Palestinians when it comes to securing approval for building projects.

A recent Haaretz investigation found that in 2025 only 7% of homes approved for construction in Jerusalem were intended for Palestinian residents, even though Palestinians make up 40% of the city’s population.