The Ring Neighborhoods (Israeli term; ) or Ring Settlements of Jerusalem are eight

Israeli settlements Israeli settlements, also called Israeli colonies, are the civilian communities built by Israel throughout the Israeli-occupied territories. They are populated by Israeli citizens, almost exclusively of Jewish identity or ethnicity, and hav ...

built as suburban satellites to

East Jerusalem East Jerusalem (, ; , ) is the portion of Jerusalem that was Jordanian annexation of the West Bank, held by Jordan after the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, as opposed to West Jerusalem, which was held by Israel. Captured and occupied in 1967, th ...

. The first neighborhoods built after 1967 were Ramot, French Hill, Neve Yaakov, Pisgat Ze'ev, East Talpiot, and

Gilo Gilo () is an Israeli settlement in south-western East Jerusalem, with a population of 30,000, mostly Jewish inhabitants. Although it is located within the Jerusalem Municipality, it is widely considered a settlement, because as one of the five ...

. In the 1990s, Ramat Shlomo and Har Homa were added to the list. The international community does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over

and considers the neighborhoods illegal settlements, but the Israeli government disputes this.

History and legal status

In 1967, following the

Six-Day War The Six-Day War, also known as the June War, 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states, primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan from 5 to 10June ...

, the makeup of Jerusalem was altered. Plans were drawn up to establish new residential neighborhoods on undeveloped land around Jerusalem as a housing solution for young couples, new

immigrants Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...

, and middle-class families seeking a better quality of life. The city's territory was increased to when Israel unilaterally annexed areas north, east and south of the city to Israel, totaling an area three times the size of pre-war

West Jerusalem West Jerusalem or Western Jerusalem (, ; , ) refers to the section of Jerusalem that was controlled by Israel at the end of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. As the city was divided by the Green Line (Israel's erstwhile border, established by ...

. Today, as many as 165,000 people reside in these communities. According to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

and the European Union, due to their having been built beyond the Green Line, the neighborhoods Israel subsequently built on these annexed grounds are considered to be

, leading them to be considered illegal under

international law International law, also known as public international law and the law of nations, is the set of Rule of law, rules, norms, Customary law, legal customs and standards that State (polity), states and other actors feel an obligation to, and generall ...

based on the

Fourth Geneva Convention The Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (), more commonly referred to as the Fourth Geneva Convention and abbreviated as GCIV, is one of the four treaties of the Geneva Conventions. It was adopted in August 1 ...

and

United Nations Security Council Resolution 476 United Nations Security Council resolution 476, adopted on 30 June 1980, declared that "all legislative and administrative measures and actions taken by Israel, the occupying Power, which purport to alter the character and status of the Holy Cit ...

. Israel disputes this, maintaining that these neighborhoods are part of the municipality of Jerusalem, and therefore under Israel's sovereignty. The

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

' position has been inconsistent. The United States abstained from voting on Resolution 476 and the US Congress has declared that "Jerusalem should remain an undivided city... the capital of the State of Israel" in the Jerusalem Embassy Act. On the other hand, the

Obama administration Barack Obama's tenure as the 44th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2009, and ended on January 20, 2017. Obama, a Democrat from Illinois, took office following his victory over Republican nomine ...

stated that East Jerusalem settlements must halt construction and expansion permanently.

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

has also shown wavering stances regarding the neighborhoods, by using ambiguous wording or refusing to outwardly classify the neighborhoods as illegal West Bank settlements.

Neighborhoods

* Ramot is located north-west, north of Highway 1. Established in 1974, it has about 50,000 residents as of 2015. * Ramat Shlomo, due north of downtown, was established in 1995. It has an almost entirely

Haredi Haredi Judaism (, ) is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that is characterized by its strict interpretation of religious sources and its accepted (Jewish law) and traditions, in opposition to more accommodating values and practices. Its members are ...

population of 20,000 as of 2014. * Neve Yaakov is the northernmost neighborhood in Jerusalem. Established in 1970, it has about 30,000 residents as of 2014. * Pisgat Ze'ev in the north is the largest neighborhood in Jerusalem. Established in 1982, it has about 50,000 residents.Pisgat Zeev Neighborhood
/ref> * French Hill in the north-east was established in 1968. It has a population of over 6,600 residents. * East Talpiot (East of Talpiot) is located on the eastern edge of the city, situated near the Commissioner's Palace. Established in 1973, it has about 15,000 residents. * Har Homa, in the far south-east, was established in 1997. It has about 20,000 residents. *

, south-west of the city, is the neighborhood with the highest elevation. Established in 1971, it has about 40,000 residents. Another Jewish neighborhood in Jerusalem built beyond the Green Line, Ramat Eshkol (the first to be built), is not considered part of the Ring Neighborhoods.

References

{{Neighborhoods of Jerusalem Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem Neighbourhoods of Jerusalem