Shuafat

Basic Information

Type

Town

Governorate

Jerusalem

Region

Jerusalem

Historical Significance

Shuafat's name may derive from Jehoshaphat ('God judges') or mean 'mountain top.' Archaeological evidence shows a fortified agricultural settlement existed here in the 2nd-1st century BCE. The area has been continuously inhabited for thousands of years. Today, its significance lies in its status as one of the largest Palestinian communities in Jerusalem and its proximity to the Shuafat Refugee Camp — the only UNRWA-administered refugee camp within Jerusalem municipal boundaries. The neighborhood's experience illustrates the full range of occupation policies: land confiscation, settlement construction, discriminatory planning, inadequate services, and demographic pressures.