History scholars say a small Jewish community existed for thousands of years in Sheikh Jarrah around the tomb of Shimon Hatzadik, an ancient Jewish high priest, but fled the area when the city was divided in 1948 between Israel and Jordan. In 1956, Jordan and the United Nations built 28 small homes at Sheikh Jarrah, east of the Green Line, to house Palestinian refugee families. They were joined over time by others. The Palestinians paid rent to a “general custodian,” first under Jordan, then, after Israel conquered the land in 1967, under Israel.

Source: Washington Post May 09, 2021 12:17 UTC