In East Jerusalem the neighborhood of Isawiyya faces daily barriers that make day-to-day life challenging—limited municipal services, unreliable public transportation, and even road closures due to security restrictions. Yet in the midst of these challenges, one initiative is steadily transforming lives: the Atta’a Center for the Rights of East Jerusalem Residents.
The Atta’a Center’s expansion to Isawiyya was made possible through the support of the Leichtag Foundation. This local office has become a vital lifeline, helping residents secure essential rights and services many struggle to access due to the bureaucratic complexities tied to their permanent residency status.
In the past year alone, the Isawiyya branch assisted over 220 residents, addressing issues ranging from National Insurance (Bituach Leumi) to labor law rights and property tax (Arnona). These ‘numbers’ reflect stories of people finally receiving benefits they were denied, registering children for health services, or getting legal help for employment violations.
Beyond individual support, Atta’a plays a strategic role in strengthening the entire community. Through rights-awareness workshops, social media outreach (with tens of thousands of followers on Facebook and TikTok), and hands-on guidance, the Center helps residents become their own advocates. In a place where access often feels like a privilege, Atta’a makes it a right.
But the road ahead isn’t without obstacles. A major grant from Bituach Leumi has just ended, creating financial uncertainty. Isawiyya may be on the margins of Jerusalem in infrastructure, but through Atta ’a’s work, it is becoming a model of community resilience and digital empowerment. That is a story worth telling—and supporting.