Gilo: Blending scenery with urban vitality in southern Jerusalem

Overlooking the rolling hills of the Judean Mountains, Gilo is a suburban enclave just outside the typical traveler’s path in Jerusalem. Providing residents with a peaceful place to live, spacious forests, and stunning views of modern-day Jerusalem, Gilo is rebounding from a downturn at the turn of the century. It is becoming a popular choice for residents seeking a quieter alternative to the city’s hustle and bustle.

Gilo is named after a biblical city previously identified with Beit Jala, located east of the neighborhood. However, this identification has since been disproven and is no longer accepted.

Founded in 1971 as one of the ring neighborhoods after the 1967 Six Day War, Gilo is the highest neighborhood in Jerusalem, sitting at 857 meters above sea level.

The biblical city of Gilo

Gilo is mentioned in the Book of Joshua as part of the southern hill country: “Goshen, Holon, and Gilo.” It is also noted as the hometown of Ahithophel the Gilonite, adviser to King David and his son Absalom; and of Eliam, one of David’s warriors.

Archaeological findings in Gilo include a settlement and “tower” from Iron Age I and a guard tower from Iron Age II. These structures suggest that the site may have had a cultic aspect, including a columbarium for breeding doves used in sacrifices.

The area continued to be inhabited post-biblical times, supported by nearby springs such as Ein Yael and Ein Lavan. During the Roman period, an important family settled nearby, with their home’s ruins visible at the Ein Yael site at the foot of the neighborhood.

Modern times

During the Ottoman period, the area was populated by local Arab families from villages like Beit Jala, al-Malha, and Beit Safafa. After the Six Day War in June 1967, the area was captured and annexed to Jerusalem. Gilo was established in 1971 as part of the ring neighborhood plan built around the city post-war.

Gilo’s population grew in the 1980s due to new immigrants settling in the neighborhood’s absorption center. In the early 1990s, following development in Efrat in Gush Etzion, the population slightly decreased to around 30,000. However, it continued to grow, reaching about 39,000 by the late 1990s. As of 2022, the population was 32,000 residents, with just under one-third (9,510) being young people.

During the Second Intifada, Gilo became a target for Palestinian terrorism, with direct machine-gun fire from nearby towns like Beit Jala and al-Khader. In 2000, there were about 100 shooting incidents. While no residents were killed, several were wounded, and property was damaged. To protect the neighborhood, a concrete wall was built along a section of Margalit Street. The wall was dismantled in 2010 after the security situation improved after the Second Intifada.

A 2009 plan to expand the neighborhood sparked opposition from the United States. President Barack Obama stated that construction in Gilo “complicates efforts to restart peace talks.” Israeli leaders, including president Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, foreign minister Avigdor Liberman, and opposition leader Tzipi Livni, emphasized that Gilo is an inseparable part of Jerusalem.

Over the years, additional building in Gilo has been repeatedly condemned by international figures due to the neighborhood’s location over the Green Line. In 2012, after the announcement of further apartment units, Gilo Community Center director Yaffa Shitrit said the international outrage over building in Gilo was due to “a lack of understanding of Gilo’s location.”

“They need to look at the map. When they get here, they understand that it’s not a settlement, it’s part of Jerusalem,” Shitrit stated.

The modern neighborhood

The architects who designed the ring neighborhoods, including Gilo, feared that building large neighborhoods far from the city center would cause them to lose their Jerusalem identity. Therefore, they incorporated traditional Jerusalem architectural features such as clusters of interconnected buildings with courtyards, similar to houses in the Old City. Other features included arched windows, stone arches, and Jerusalem stone.

A quiet, suburban neighborhood, Gilo lacks the tourist attractions that are dotted throughout Jerusalem. However, residents are well catered to with numerous eateries, a shopping mall, several supermarkets, and facilities for each of Israel’s major health funds.

Recent renovations on Begin Boulevard and Road 60, which leads to Gush Etzion, have decreased the traffic congestion somewhat around Gilo, a problem the suburb has suffered from for years. 

The Jerusalem light rail is also expanding into Gilo. Expected to be completed by 2025, the Green Line will link the two campuses of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and will pass through the city, along Gilo Forest, and terminate in western Gilo.■

Est. Population: 32,522 (in 2022)

Avg. Real Estate: 

House (buy): NIS 3.3 million

Apt. (rent): NIS 5,500/mo.