Jerusalem’s al-Bustan Neighbourhood Faces Demolition for the “Kings Garden” Theme Park

Residents of al-Bustan, a densely populated neighbourhood in Silwan, East Jerusalem, are dismantling their own houses with hired equipment to avoid a municipal demolition bill of 280,000 shekels per home. The demolitions clear the site for the Jerusalem municipality’s planned “Kings Garden” biblical theme park.

The Guardian

The al-Bustan area lies beneath Jerusalem’s Old City walls, adjacent to the al-Aqsa Mosque. Israeli authorities pursue a “City of David” narrative emphasizing Jewish antiquity, while the municipality says the neighbourhood lacks residential zoning. Palestinian residents, led by Fakhri Abu Diab and Ir Amim activists, view the park as an effort to erase their presence.

The Guardian

Between 2022 and 2024, municipal orders demolished 57 al-Bustan homes; eight more are slated for removal in 2026. Residents report a municipal demolition fee of 280,000 shekels, while self-demolition costs under a tenth of that. Fakhri Abu Diab pays a 43,000-shekel fine at 4,000 shekels per month.

The Guardian

Jerusalem municipality told +972 that Kings Garden park is “being constructed for benefit of all city residents” and that al-Bustan houses are “illegal” because the area was never zoned for residential use. It said it had sought a residential alternative but received no serious interest.

The Guardian

Ir Amim researcher Aviv Tatarsky said project “encapsulates the erasure of Palestinians” and that Israel refuses to recognise Jerusalem’s bi-national reality. Residents such as Mohammad Qwaider argue demolition would force them into tents, while community leader Fakhri Abu Diab notes municipality routinely denies building permits to Palestinians but approves them for Israeli Jews and unauthorised settler outposts.

The Guardian

The municipality claims al-Bustan lacks residential zoning, yet residents assert many homes pre-date the 1967 occupation and that a community-proposed master plan with green space was rejected politically. No independent verification of zoning status or of the park’s construction timeline is provided in the sources.

The Guardian

• “This is something really hard. This is something bitter,” — Jalal al-Tawil, resident

The Guardian

• “Israel is not willing to recognise the bi-national, multi-ethnic, multicultural reality of Jerusalem and it is wiping out first and foremost Palestinians – but really anything that is not Jewish, and then glossing it over with this Disneyfied nonsense,” — Aviv Tatarsky, senior researcher, Ir Amim

The Guardian

• “If they demolish our house, we will put up a tent. We will not leave,” — Mohammad Qwaider, resident

The Guardian

• “They demolished our past. They demolished our memories. They demolished our dreams. They demolished my childhood, our childhood, and they demolished our future.” — Fakhri Abu Diab, al-Bustan community leader

The Guardian

Jerusalem municipality plans to begin Kings Garden construction after clearing the remaining designated homes. Residents intend to pursue legal challenges and to promote their alternative master plan. International NGOs and several foreign ambassadors have voiced concern, but no concrete intervention has been announced.

The Guardian