2 min readNew DelhiMay 17, 2026 10:03 AM IST
In the densely populated neighbourhoods outside the walls of the Old City, Palestinians are being forced to demolish their own houses to make room for a Biblical theme park.
The Israeli state and municipality have carried out the project for decades, but in the neighbourhood of al-Bustan, new reports are surfacing — residents are renting equipment to do the work themselves.
On the site, a theme park called the King’s Garden, dedicated to King Solomon, is to be built. The park falls under an umbrella of archaeological projects focused on restoring Jerusalem’s Jewish past and centred on what is considered the City of David.
In al-Bustan, a part of the Silwan district of East Jerusalem, more than 57 homes have been demolished in the last two years, and at least eight more are designated for demolition in the next few weeks. The Guardian reported that the Jerusalem municipality is charging some residents as much as $95,000 for its workers to carry out the demolition. Hence, some Palestinians are doing it themselves.
The agency also reported that many Israeli archaeologists are of the view that a large number of the visible remains date to eras before and after King David’s reign.
The project had been in the works for two decades, but was held back by Palestinian resistance, paired with international opposition and Israeli politics. But after the October 7 Hamas attacks, the subsequent Gaza war, and US President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the momentum behind the project has accelerated sharply.
International communities have raised concerns about the well-being of the Arab minorities in Israel. On Thursday, Israeli nationalists, in a state-sponsored march through Jerusalem to mark the anniversary of the city’s capture in the Arab-Israeli war, chanted “death to the Arabs” and “may your villages burn”.
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