The Impact of Settlement Expansion on Jerusalem Villages: Demographic and Economic Transformations in Biddu, Beit Iksa, Ar-Ram and Kufr Aqab

Abstract

This article examines Israeli settlement expansion in Jerusalem from both demographic and geographic perspectives, focusing on the isolation of surrounding Palestinian villages and towns from the city centre, as well as the isolation of their residents and suburbs from the rest of the Palestinian population. The article concentrates on Israeli settlement activity in the northern and northwestern parts of Jerusalem, analysing the economic, social, and demographic transformations of the villages of Biddu, Beit Iksa, Al–Ram, and Kafr Aqab. The article concludes with an overview of how settlement expansion policies have produced numerous economic, social, and demographic impacts, according to the specific geopolitical characteristics of each area and the colonial objectives behind these policies.