The story of the East Jerusalemite Palestinians is a unique story. But it is unique because it was divided from other parts in the lands in which Palestinians live: Gaza, West Bank and 48' (what Palestinians call the territory of Israel). In light of the geographical division and in light of the different laws applicable to the different types of populations, different characteristics also began to emerge.
Before 1948, Palestinians and Jews lived alongside each other in East Jerusalem. In 1948, the war broke out, at the end of which the State of Israel was established. In the armistice agreements, the territories of East Jerusalem were transferred to Jordan. After that, Jordan distributed the properties in this area to the Palestinians, among others who fled from West Jerusalem. However, in the 1967 war, Israel conquered East Jerusalem from Jordan, and all those properties passed to Israel. Later, Israel passed the Legal and Administrative Matters Law, allowing for Jewish individuals and organizations to reclaim properties in East Jerusalem that were owned by Jews before 1948; the same policy does not apply to Palestinians who lost their homes in West Jerusalem or anywhere else in what became Israel after the 1948.
Against this background, there have been many struggles of Palestinian families in East Jerusalem for their homes in recent decades. As an activist, I had the opportunity to accompany mainly families from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood and the Old City.