Why is Jerusalem Losing the Quality of Life Race to Other Israeli Cities?

Jerusalem has been ranked toward the bottom in terms of resident satisfaction, according to data revealed by Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics.

The survey explored 16 large Israeli cities and compared the quality of life there. It also attempted to analyse the status of their employment, security, running water, internet connectivity, and other aspects.

The disputed city only managed to gain positive grades in 18 of the 51 elements the poll tried to compare.

City of Contrasts

The survey on Jerusalem's quality of life did not reflect the reality on the ground, Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem Fleur Hassan-Nahoum says.

"Jerusalem is not a homogeneous city [like others in the survey - ed.]. It is a city of neighbourhoods and minorities, with each having its own set of challenges".

Jewish men pray during the mourning ritual of Tisha B'Av at the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray in Jerusalem's old city

The holy city is the country's largest, with nearly one million residents, almost double the size of Tel Aviv. It is home to various minorities, the biggest of which are Ultra-Orthodox Jews and Arabs that make up 29.6 and 38 percent of the population respectively.

"These two groups reside in the city in their highest numbers, and this fact had a direct impact on the results of the survey", Hassan-Nahoum said.

Both groups are considered to be some of the most fecund elements in Israel. According to estimates, an Ultra-Orthodox woman in Jerusalem produces six children during her life, while an Arab woman on average bears 3.33 kids, which is still higher than the numbers registered in the rest of the country, where the average stands at 3.05 children.

Skyrocketing Poverty

The high fertility rates come at a price. Workforce participation has been exceptionally low among representatives of both groups.

Poverty rates have been high and in 2018 it was reported that 72 percent of Jerusalem's Arab residents were living in dire conditions. Some 49 percent of Ultra-Orthodox Jews were in the same situation.

"The workforce is low in the city. Only 15 percent of the Ultra-Orthodox work, whereas Arab women have the lowest rates in the entire Arab world", the deputy mayor said.

Столкновения палестинцев с израильскими силами безопасности у мечети Аль-Акса в Старом городе Иерусалима

"Partially, it is because they start producing children early. And partially it is because Arabs in the city go by the curriculum of the Palestinian Authority that doesn't teach any Hebrew, and that makes the process of their involvement in the workforce extremely difficult", she added.

For years, local authorities have been trying to tackle that alarming trend. They have been giving Hebrew lessons to everyone who wanted them. They have been encouraging the Ultra-Orthodox to take different jobs. And they have been working on the construction of a so-called "Silicon Valley" in the east of the city in a bid to create 10,000 jobs and increase the participation of women in the job market.

Negative Migration?

Although these and other efforts have borne some fruit, the city continues to experience difficulties, and reports have even indicated that the dire economic situation has prompted many to leave the area and try their luck elsewhere.

Hassan-Nahoum acknowledges that there is negative migration in the city. She says it is a natural phenomenon happening in many places across the globe. But in Jerusalem, it is mainly triggered by the lack of affordable housing, as well as that some neighbourhoods have become more religious, something that pushed secular individuals out.

The security situation has not been a stabilising factor either.

Between 28 November and 28 December 2021, Israel witnessed 15 terrorist attacks or attempted assaults. Most were carried out in Jerusalem or the West Bank, two disputed areas.

Palestinians react as Israeli police fire stun grenades during clashes at the compound that houses Al-Aqsa Mosque, known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, amid tension over the possible eviction of several Palestinian families from homes on land claimed by Jewish settlers in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, in Jerusalem's Old City, May 7, 2021

"The reason for this wave of terror is the successful infiltration of Hamas [deemed a terrorist organisation by Israel - ed.] into the schools of East Jerusalem. But people do not leave the city because of this, and even those who choose to reside outside of Jerusalem link their daily life to the city".

The city has also been a major tourist attraction, primarily because of its religious significance to the three monotheistic religions. Before the outbreak of COVID-19 in Israel in February 2020, it had been hailed as one of the most attractive tourist destinations but the pandemic has halted that trend.

Hassan-Nahoum, who is also responsible for tourism in the city, anticipates her town will be able to overcome the crisis, and she is also hopeful that the positive image of Jerusalem will not be marred by the findings of the poll.

"Here in Jerusalem, we have sizes and differences that no other city has. So it makes no sense to compare Jerusalem to other cities. It is like comparing apples to oranges", she summed up.