In occupied Jerusalem, the battle for the city’s soul is waged not only through military checkpoints and home demolitions, but also under the guise of culture. Festivals, concerts, and luminous displays now flood the streets of the Old City, ostensibly celebrations of art and heritage, yet in truth tools to overwrite the Palestinian identity of the holy city.

Israeli authorities, backed by government institutions and private sponsors, have transformed key Palestinian and Islamic landmarks into stages for events that project a carefully curated Zionist narrative. From alcohol-fuelled festivals in the historic Mamilla Cemetery to light shows across the ancient walls of Damascus Gate, these spectacles are not innocent entertainment. They are instruments of displacement, disguised in neon.

Palestinian voices are actively silenced. Cultural centres are shut down, grassroots initiatives banned, and artists subjected to interrogation or arrest. Meanwhile, state-sponsored events impose an Israeli narrative on sacred and symbolic sites, drawing settlers and tourists into occupied East Jerusalem while pushing out its original inhabitants.

The Sultan’s Pool, Wadi al-Rababa in Silwan, and even areas near Al-Aqsa Mosque are now host to festivals that distort the religious and cultural fabric of the city. These locations, rich in Islamic and Arab history, are repurposed to serve settler-colonial aims, turning centuries-old heritage into consumable entertainment.

Experts warn that this campaign is systematic. It is about rebranding Jerusalem as an exclusively Jewish city, culturally, politically, and demographically. And it is unfolding while much of the world’s attention remains fixated on Gaza. The distraction allows Israel to advance a silent war on Jerusalem’s identity, one festival at a time.

Yet Palestinians in Jerusalem continue to resist. Despite closures, censorship, and escalating pressure, they hold on, to memory, to place, and to the truth. As one local researcher said, “This battle is not fought with bullets, but with stories, symbols, and presence.” And in that quiet defiance lies the enduring heartbeat of the city.