Walking in the Christian and Muslim quarters of Jerusalem may be a bit boring for someone who is fond of high-class architecture. The experience seemed nearly indescribable at first, but then I found words to describe it: “slum architecture”.

What do we see in these photos? The Old City of Jerusalem, yes. A house complex on Suq Attarin street and another one on Shalshelet street, as they are seen from the rooftop promenade. (To find this place, start from Jaffa Gate and enter the Bazaar David street right in front of you. After 100 meters turn right on St. Mark street, which soon bends to the left. Stairs to the rooftop promenade are at the eastern end of St. Mark street.)

How would you describe these buildings, what is their architectural style? The correct answer is “slum architecture”, which means that the housing lacks professional quality typical for the era when it was built.

The government of any civilized nation would order such scarecrow architecture to be demolished, to make way for housing projects of proper quality (and with more storeys, housing more families). But the government of Israel will not do so — not in the Arab East Jerusalem, nor in the non-Jewish parts of the Old City. Nearly all building permits have been frozen for decades here, and if anyone builds anything or repairs anything, it will be technically illegal.

Motive? It is no secret that the government of Israel wants to have a Jewish Jerusalem with Jewish residents and Jewish religion. Quiet and unnoticeable discrimination in building permits is one of the easiest ways to reduce the non-Jewish population of Jerusalem without causing much public outrage.

UN resolution 181 was not so badly astray after all, when it recommended international protection for Jerusalem. Jews have had 40 years time now to prove what they want and will do with Jerusalem, and the results are... very... Jewish.