Petition seeks to block yeshiva project for foreign students on east Jerusalem public land

Three nonprofits petitioned the Jerusalem District Court to overturn approval of a yeshiva and dormitory for foreign students on public land in Sheikh Jarrah, east Jerusalem. The petitioners, including Ir Amim, argue the plan diverts scarce public land from needed services and cite a shortage of 2,000 classrooms. They also seek to freeze the plan pending court review.

Three nonprofit organizations—Ir Amim, the Sheikh Jarrah Welfare Association, and the Umm Lison Women’s Association—filed a petition with the Jerusalem District Court to overturn the approval of a plan to build a yeshiva and dormitory for foreign students on public land in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of east Jerusalem. The petition targets the Jerusalem district and local planning committees, senior planning officials, and the Ohr Somayach institutions, which initiated the plan. The petitioners also asked the court to freeze the plan while it considers the challenge, specifically requesting that the plan not be formally published or advanced until a ruling is issued. The dispute centers on a 4.3-dunam site on Pierre van Paassen Street in the Nahalat Shimon section of Sheikh Jarrah. Official records list the land as state-owned and show an earlier plan designated it for public use. The petitioners claim the site was originally privately owned Palestinian land, expropriated for a public building intended to serve neighborhood residents. They argue the district committee's decision diverts one of the limited sites available for east Jerusalem public services toward a yeshiva and dormitory primarily for students from abroad. According to the petition, east Jerusalem faces a severe shortage of public buildings, including a shortage of approximately 2,000 classrooms, based on Jerusalem Municipality figures. A professional assessment also identified a significant shortage in Sheikh Jarrah itself. The petitioners noted that Ohr Somayach received authorization from the Israel Land Authority to plan the project, but the land has not yet been formally allocated. During the approval process, the plan's wording was changed to replace explicit references to a yeshiva, study hall, and dormitory with broader permitted uses, which the petitioners called largely cosmetic. They also said the decision to designate 40% of the plot as public open space did not address their objections. The petition challenges three decisions: an extension granted to complete the planning process, the district committee's approval, and the chairman's refusal to allow an appeal. The plan was submitted in 2013 and approved only this year after remaining dormant. The petitioners argue officials did not adequately explain the extension or justify departing from the land's designated purpose. They acknowledged construction is not imminent but said allowing the plan to take effect could complicate later cancellation. Sheikh Jarrah has been a focal point of Israeli-Palestinian disputes, with eviction attempts prompting protests in 2021. Ir Amim researcher Aviv Tatarsky said the project is part of a wider series of moves threatening residents. The case has not yet been assigned to a judge.