West Jerusalem
West Jerusalem or Western Jerusalem is the section of Jerusalem that was controlled by Israel at the end of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.
West Jerusalem or Western Jerusalem is the section of Jerusalem that was controlled by Israel at the end of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. As the city was divided by the Green Line, West Jerusalem was formally delineated as the counterpart to East Jerusalem, which was controlled by Jordan. Though Israel has controlled the entirety of Jerusalem since the 1967 Arab–Israeli War, the boundaries of West Jerusalem and East Jerusalem remain internationally recognized as de jure due to their significance to the process of determining the status of Jerusalem, which has been among the primary points of contention in the Arab–Israeli conflict and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. With certain exceptions, undivided Jerusalem is not internationally recognized as the sovereign territory of either Israel or the State of Palestine. However, recognition of Israeli sovereignty over only West Jerusalem is more widely accepted as a plausible diplomatic position, as the United Nations regards East Jerusalem as part of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What Wikivoyage says to see
- 01The Knesset
The Knesset offers guided tours (in Hebrew, Arabic, English, French, Spanish, German, Russian, Amharic, Yiddish, and Finnish) for the public.
- 02Supreme Court
Located between the Knesset and the Central Bus Station, the Supreme Court building (opened 1992) is a mixture of traditional Jerusalem architecture and modern elements.
- 03Mount Herzl
- 04Yad Vashem
Herzl terminal station, then take the free shuttle to Yad Vashem (every 20 minutes) or walk 10 minutes (museum signs are visible)), general.information@yadvashem.org.il.
- 05HaPaamon
A Jordanian military position from 1948-1967, on the flat land between Kibbutz Ramat Rachel and the Arab neighborhood Sur Baher.
From Wikivoyage: West Jerusalem, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Things to do
- 01All Nations Cafe
- 02First Station
Between 1892 and 1998, Jerusalem's train station was located here, not too far from the Old City.
- 03Great Synagogue
Built in 1982, this synagogue seats 1400 people and was intended to function as Jerusalem's central synagogue.
- 04Ein Yael
A living museum where farming and crafts techniques are demonstrated in a natural setting.
- 05National Library
The world's largest collection of Jewish books and records.
- 06Cinema City
Full of loud flashing signs and life-sized movie character figurines, it is the definition of tacky.
From Wikivoyage: West Jerusalem, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Where to eat
- 01The Eucalyptus
- 02Shalom Felafel
36 Bezalel.
- 03Melech HaFalafel VeHaShawarma
- 04Bein Aza LeBerlin
At the corner of Gaza St and Berlin St, with a second branch downtown.
- 05Masudi
A variety of tasty Israel and Jewish dishes, including shawarma and cholent.
From Wikivoyage: West Jerusalem, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Getting to West Jerusalem
- Airports
- Ben Gurion (TLV), 40 km · Queen Alia (AMM), 73 km · Marka International (Amman Civil) (ADJ), 76 km
- Tel Aviv → West Jerusalem53 km · quickest by road, 1h 22m · ₪22–29
- Eilat → West Jerusalem249 km · quickest by road, 5h 46m · ₪100–135
- Amman → West Jerusalem71 km · quickest by road, 2h 17m · JD4–5
- Plan a tripFrom anywhereThe planner compares every way there from wherever you are.
Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds.
No local-transport research exists yet for West Jerusalem
Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for West Jerusalem. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more.
- Get inBy shuttle - The 'Nesher' shared taxi service (+972 2 623 1231 - Hebrew and English) is a 10-seat minibus that runs approximately hourly services to/from the airport, 24/7.
- Get inNotes: Some Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem are seen as "no go zones" by Israeli Jews, and some taxi drivers, including shared taxis, may hesitate or even refuse to take you to these destinations.
- Get inTaxi drivers, including shared taxis, have been known to overcharge or shortchange, so check the price before boarding, and check your change when it is handed back to you.
- Get inOn the Sabbath, and very late at night, your only option other than a private taxi is a sherut (shared taxi).
- Get inShared taxis are also the best option if travelling between Jerusalem and Palestinian cities in the West Bank, especially Ramallah and Bethlehem.
From Wikivoyage: Jerusalem, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us; that article was last edited 2026-09.
- 01164 km
- 02246 km
- 03372 km
- 04711 km
- 051,069 km
If you know how people move in West Jerusalem – the stand, the rule, the fare – tell us, and the note gets an entry.
Next door to West Jerusalem
West Jerusalem is 1 km from East Jerusalem, the nearest large city, whose note carries the wider picture.