Jordanian Jerusalem and its mayor, Rouhi Al-Khatib

In the following pages, I show how Jordanian policy in Jerusalem in the years 1948 – 1967 and Mayor Rouhi al-Khatib’s professional career intertwined and helped the city dwellers to maintain their local identity. Al-Khatib’s role in the urban development of Jerusalem met with the government policy of patronizing Jerusalem holy sites and investment in tourism. However, relations between city council members and local anti-Hashemite opposition groups on the one hand and the Jordanian authorities on the other hand, were far from harmonious.