The Aftermath of October 7th in Jerusalem

The attacks on October 7th are often referred to as Israel’s 9/11, while in actuality the events caused 40x the proportional loss of life, and immediately impacted much more of the population (Satloff, 2023). The devastating attack almost immediately led to an Israeli response in the form of an invasion of Gaza, where Israel has the stated goal of eliminating Hamas, no matter the cost on the Palestinian population. As the conflict has progressed, tens of thousands of civilians within Gaza have lost their lives to Israeli bombardment, and the international community has gradually turned against Israel as it is accused of human rights violations. The city of Jerusalem, held as holy to three world religions, and the center of so much conflict has not been immune from the aftermath of the October 7th attacks.

The conflict in Gaza has not directly affected the city of Jerusalem with much violence. While tensions have certainly been raised, there has been no mass action towards intifada, unrest associated with Ramadan, or major tensions at major holy sites. There have been mass protests by Israelis in the government areas of the capital, demanding action by the government and the return of the hostages. Compared to other conflagrations in the conflict between Israel and its neighbors, Jerusalem has been fairly safe during this time.

The biggest impact on Jerusalem since the attacks has been the ominous feeling held by both Jews and Palestinians in both parts of the city. Since the October 7th attacks, over 400 citizens of the West Bank have been killed as result of Settler violence and some Israeli raids, including an air strike on a refugee camp (Asi 2024). In addition over 300,000 work permits have been canceled, effectively depriving hundreds of thousands of their livelihoods. The Jews of Jerusalem have been wracked with fear of rocket strikes from Hamas and the risk of escalation with Hezbollah and Iran, as well as uncertainty as to the fates of the hostages still held in Gaza. The city has survived 6 months since the attacks, made it through the holy month of Ramadan with little incident, and has persevered through countless protests against the government. It is a testament to the enduring nature of the city and the people living within that it has made it to this point, but with all the stress it receives it will be no surprise if the city hits a breaking point.

Asi, Yara. “The Occupied West Bank since October 7: Movement Restrictions and Collective Punishment.” Arab Center Washington DC, 26 Jan. 2024, arabcenterdc.org/resource/the-occupied-west-bank-since-october-7-movement-restrictions-and-collective-punishment/#:~:text=Between%20October%207%2C%202023%2C%20and,on%20the%20Jenin%20refugee%20camp. 

Satloff, Robert. “Why 10/7 Was Worse for Israel than 9/11 Was for America.” The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 15 Oct. 2023, www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/why-107-was-worse-israel-911-was-america.