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Pisgat Ze'ev (Template:Lang-he, lit. Ze'ev Peak), is a neighborhood of Jerusalem, with almost 50,000 residents. Building commenced in 1982 on land de facto annexed by Israel east of the green line, and the first families moved in three years later. Because this de facto annexation is not recognized by the United Nations, they consider Pisgat Ze'ev to be an Israeli settlement, as do some international organizations (see Positions on Jerusalem). However, this is disputed by Israel, the United States, and other nations, who instead classify it as a neighborhood of Jerusalem. It is located east of the Arab neighborhood of Shuafat, west of the Arab villages of Hizma and 'Anata, and south of Neve Yaakov.

Background

Pisgat Ze'ev was established to create a contiguous Jewish link with Neve Yaakov, which had been isolated from other Jewish areas and is named after the Revisionist Zionist leader, Ze'ev Jabotinsky.

Archeological evidence shows that the region in which Pisgat Ze'ev was established was a major producer of wine and oil for use in the Temple in Jerusalem.

Construction and expansion

Pisgat Ze'ev consists of five sections: Center (1982), West (1988), East and North (1990), and South (1998). It is linked to downtown Jerusalem by a direct freeway, Route 60 (known in Jerusalem proper as Route 1). Because Pisgat Ze'ev is located in territory captured by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War and was subsequently annexed (first through the Jerusalem annexation directorate of 1967, then through the Jerusalem Law of 1980), it is considered sometimes as a settlement in East Jerusalem since the annexation is generally not recognized by UN organizations. Technically speaking, Pisgat Ze'ev lies in the northern sector of Jerusalem and its location is only referred to as "East Jerusalem" due to the fact it was established east of the Green Line.

The construction of Pisgat Ze'ev increased the proportion of Jews living in East Jerusalem relative to the number of Arabs. In 1990, there were 150,000 Arabs and 120,000 Jews in East Jerusalem; in 1993, there were 155,000 Arabs and 160,000 Jews.

West Bank barrier

Since the spring of 2004, the Israeli West Bank barrier has been built to separate Pisgat Ze'ev and other Jerusalem suburbs from the West Bank. One result was an increase of Palestinians with Jerusalem residency moving into Pisgat Ze'ev, which has a largely homogeneous Jewish population.

Schools and public buildings

With 40 percent of the residents under the age of 21, Pisgat Ze'ev has 58 kindergartens, 9 elementary schools, 2 middle schools and 3 high schools. There are also 22 synagogues and 2 libraries.

Street names

The main north-south artery is Moshe Dayan Boulevard, named after the Israeli military leader and politician. Other streets named after Israeli personalities include Simcha Holtzberg Street in northern Pisgat Ze'ev.

Many of the streets in the central section of Pisgat Ze'ev are named for Israeli army units that took part in the 1948 and 1967 wars. Two streets, the "Street of the Four" and the "Street of the Sixteen," commemorate Israeli soldiers who fell in combat in this area during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the Six-Day War, and other battles for Jerusalem. A memorial listing the names of these soldiers can be found at the Archeological Park in Pisgat Ze'ev-Central.

See also

• List of places in Jerusalem
• Kubur Bani Yisra’il

References

This article has an unclear citation style. The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of citation and footnoting. (September 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

1. ^ Settlement Monitor, The Journal of Palestine Studies XXIV, No. 3, Spring 1995, pp. 122-134.
2. ^ Jerusalem
3. Foundation for Middle East Peace - Settlements in East Jerusalem
4. The Choice is Now
   Angela Godfrey-Goldstein
   The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, May 22, 2006
5. East Jerusalem, B'Tselem.
6. Jerusalem barrier prompts Arabs to move across town
   Joshua Mitnick
   The Washington Times, May 8, 2006

External links

• Official website Template:He icon
• Jerusalem Photos Portal - Pisgat Ze'ev

31°49′30″N 35°14′30″E / 31.82500°N 35.24167°E / 31.82500; 35.24167

• Neighbourhoods of Jerusalem