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The municipality approved the plan last month to expand the memorial, to be funded to the tune of a million shekels by the Jewish National Fund by building an amphitheater to accommodate 300 people for ceremonies and visitors. Observation posts and benches would also be placed at the fenced-off site.
Sheikh Jarrah lacks space for public buildings. One of the only spaces left is soon to house a large yeshiva, as part of another city plan. The neighborhood has been the focus of legal conflict for more than a decade after settler associations have sued to remove dozens of Palestinian residents from their homes, claiming that Jews purchased the land on which these homes were built in the 19th century. Recently Palestinians have suffered a list of legal setbacks and many families face a threat of imminent expulsion from their homes.