Jerusalem and the Unresolved Question of Sovereignty

Abstract

The de facto annexation of East Jerusalem has advanced incrementally through a legal-administrative architecture that includes land registration, zoning, and permitting; residency rules; and redesign of municipal boundaries. These measures affect how everyday rights like movement, worship, development, and residence are controlled. Crucially, they will determine whether the Old City and its surrounding areas can function as the capital of a future Palestinian state. This article evaluates three policy levers that could curb the takeover of East Jerusalem: accountability through the International Criminal Court, complemented by universal-jurisdiction filings; targeted, reversible sanctions on orchestrators of settlement expansion and violence; and a reinforced custodianship/monitoring regime for holy sites. The piece further analyzes the feasibility of each lever and specifies measurable benchmarks, such as charging and cooperation indicators for accountability; listing, licensing, and compliance actions for sanctions; and access parity, incident reporting, and third-party audit cycles for custodianship. The examination thus shifts the focus from rhetorical support for Palestinian autonomy to the enforceable rollback of East Jerusalem's occupation.