In the Al-Bustan area of Silwan, just south of the Al Aqsa Mosque, residents say municipal enforcement has reached a new level, extending beyond homes and land to the smallest details of daily life. A recent order issued by the Jerusalem municipality has imposed fines and confiscation measures over birds kept at a private residence, a move locals describe as without precedent in the neighbourhood.

The case involves a Jerusalem-based researcher whose home in Al-Bustan had previously been demolished. Municipal officials reportedly classified the presence of birds as unlawful, citing a lack of permits and alleging that they fall outside approved planning regulations. Residents say the order came with a strict deadline to remove the birds or face further financial penalties and confiscation, reinforcing a sense that regulations are being applied in increasingly intrusive ways.

Al-Bustan has long been subjected to demolitions, land seizures and planning restrictions, but locals argue that enforcement has intensified as part of a wider strategy to reshape areas surrounding Jerusalem’s Old City. According to residents, fines and repeated orders are being used to create constant pressure, undermining stability and discouraging families from remaining in their homes. Measures linked to plans for parks and parking facilities are widely viewed in the area as serving settlement expansion rather than local needs.

For many in Silwan, the targeting of birds has become a symbol of how deeply municipal policies now reach into everyday existence. Residents say these steps are designed to erode social life and sever long-standing ties to place, particularly in neighbourhoods facing sustained demolition campaigns. Despite mounting pressure, locals insist that such measures will not break their attachment to the area or their determination to remain.