As 2024 comes to a close, it’s time to put the year in review. From protests to parties, from prayers to politics, this year is another one for the books.
But what were the most important events of the year? Which exciting happenings have left a lasting impact on Jerusalem? That’s exactly what we’re going to look at today.
This list is purely subjective, as while all of these events are undoubtedly very important, how they rank is a matter of opinion. In this case, the opinion is mine.
This is In Jerusalem’s 2024 wrap-up. We hope you enjoy it.
10. Art festivals
Jerusalem is no stranger to festivals honoring the fine arts. The city’s dedicated art scene has enough variety that there is always something for everyone. Galleries can be found all over, and major venues such as the Israel Museum and Hansen House put on breathtaking events, year after year.
In my opinion, 2024 Jerusalem Design Week really stole the show. The theme around “The Ark” at Hansen House was stunning, and I hope we get more events like it in the years to come.
9. Religious holiday events
Jewish holidays, especially the three pilgrimage holidays, namely Passover, Sukkot, and Shavuot, typically see huge numbers of Jews coming to Jerusalem. In ancient times, the visitors would be pilgrims bringing offerings to the Temple and walking up from the City of David. Nowadays, this typically translates into massive numbers of Jews congregating together at the Western Wall in the Old City.
But what makes this year special is that such visits to the Jewish Quarter have taken place during a year of war. While the current situation has certainly impacted the number of visitors to the city, all those who came managed to do so despite it all. That alone makes them noteworthy.
8. Iran attacks
The two attacks from Iran against Israel in 2024 were a shock to Jerusalemites, many of whom are accustomed to being far from the dangers of rockets and missiles.
With its location far from Gaza and the northern border, the capital rarely hears sirens to the extent that other places do. But when attacks from Iran came from the east, sirens went off in Jerusalem, and the people of the city rushed to take cover.
Luckily, no one was harmed and there was no damage. But it was a chilling reminder that even in Jerusalem, safety isn’t guaranteed.
7. Paraguay reopens its Jerusalem embassy
Only six countries have embassies in the capital. Paraguay first opened its embassy in 2018, going on to reverse that decision only months later, following a change in administration. But in December 2024, the embassy moved back to Jerusalem.
The move was widely praised by many Israeli lawmakers and seen as a new breath of support for the Jewish state and its government during a time when Israel is struggling with its international image during a year of war.
6. Gallant Night II (tie)
In 2023, the judicial reform protests were in full swing, but they exploded into a major event when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired defense minister Yoav Gallant. This kicked off Gallant Night, a protest so enormous in scale and with so much evident outrage among the general public that the prime minister was forced to walk back his decision regarding the reform.
When Netanyahu once again fired Gallant in early November, the night of the protests came back, this time to be known as Gallant Night II. It wasn’t as large in scale as last year’s – evidenced by the fact that Gallant remained fired. However, that night was a poignant reminder that the public has not forgotten what happened last time and that the echoes of the judicial reform protests live on, even through the war.
6. Haredi draft protests (tie)
The fact that Israel’s haredi community largely doesn’t serve in the IDF has been a contentious issue for decades. But as the country continues to fight the longest war in its history, outrage that has long simmered among the general public has boiled over. Calls for the ultra-Orthodox to serve in the IDF are louder than ever, and many are not going quietly.
The haredim have been protesting all over the country since the High Court of Justice ruled that they were not legally exempt from IDF service. And Jerusalem, where the court and the Knesset are located and where many haredim live, has been no exception to demonstrations and clashes with law enforcement.
One of the most noteworthy incidents in the city resulting from these protests was the attack on Construction and Housing Minister Yitzchak Goldknopf – himself haredi – by ultra-Orthodox protesters.
With the issue far from over, it remains to be seen whether tension will flare up even further.
5. Taking down UNRWA
In late October, the Knesset made the monumental decision to outlaw the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in Jerusalem. This was a major move, going against widespread international pressure. Nevertheless, calls to get rid of UNRWA in the city had only increased since Oct. 7, 2023, with outrage over reports that some of its staff were active members of Hamas.
Now the Israel Land Authority is set to seize control of UNRWA’s head office in Jerusalem, hoping to turn it into residential housing. But that may be a news story for 2025.
4. Municipal elections
The largest city in Israel went to the polls this year to vote on the new makeup of the municipality.
Municipal politics are an often overlooked but still an incredibly important part of life in the Jewish state, with many aspects of day-to-day life hinging on what goes on in these city halls. However, local elections, originally slated for October 31, 2023, were repeatedly delayed due to the ongoing war.
Jerusalem’s election was rather interesting. The mayor’s office was never really thought to be under serious threat, and Mayor Moshe Lion’s victory was seemingly assured from the start. But the makeup of the City Council saw an important shift, with haredi parties becoming a majority on the council.
3. The trial of Benjamin Netanyahu resumes
The legal woes of Israel’s prime minister have arguably helped drive the fate of this country more than anything else, including the war. From the moment Netanyahu’s legal woes began in 2019, the State of Israel has been thrust into political instability.
Years of elections, delays, protests, and now war have seen the trial continue to drag on, but the fact that Israel’s premier is on trial is not something that can be overlooked when reviewing 2024. The twist is that it is not taking place in the Jerusalem District Court – as it normally would be – but in an underground courtroom in the Tel Aviv District Court, due to security concerns.
While the trial has been held up until this point in the Jerusalem court, which has a sectioned-off, protected space in the lobby, the Tel Aviv court offers stronger fortification against missile and drone assaults.
What makes this even more significant is that Netanyahu is not just on trial but is now finally testifying. Only the future will tell what impact this could have further down the line.
2. Jerusalem’s after-school nightmare
The trial of Netanyahu is extremely important, but it is also far more than just a Jerusalem event or news story. Much more particular to Jerusalem was the crisis surrounding after-school programs in the city at the start of the school year.
In public schools – specifically daycare centers, kindergartens, and the lower grades of elementary schools – the tzaharon (after-school program) makes up the last two hours of the school day. When the teachers leave the schools, the chaperones substitute them to watch over the children and give them lunch. No tzaharon not only means no lunch, it also means that parents have to pick their children up two hours early, regardless of whether or not they have jobs.
At the start of the school year, Jerusalem had a severe shortage of chaperones. As the crisis continued, parents in Jerusalem received reports of bugs found in food, allergens brought into the classroom against existing rules, and people with no experience being sent to work with children as chaperones.
Many families throughout the city were shocked by how the situation was being handled and blamed the municipality and Amutat Lavy – the organization in charge of the programs – for shifting the blame onto the chaperones. Thankfully, a month later it appeared that the situation had been fixed – though it is still unclear whether this was a proper resolution or a temporary fix to a larger issue.
1. Hostage deal protests
While 2023 was the year of the judicial reform protests, 2024 has been an entire year of war, and the number one topic on the streets has been the plight of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Around 100 hostages are still out of reach, and all attempts at achieving a deal that would allow them to return home have been unsuccessful. This has blended with existing resentment toward the government seen during the judicial reform protests and with overall discontent regarding the ongoing war.
These protests have been a major focus of Jerusalem life throughout the year, with every week seemingly bringing a new protest.
Regardless of whether you agree with the protesters or not, their sheer persistence, week after week, proves that if nothing else, they aren’t just going away.
And that is why they have the top spot on this list of the most memorable events in Jerusalem of 2024.
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