Pools. Fountains. Marble staircases. Sprawling estates.
Regavim spent one day documenting Palestinian luxury homes across Judea and Samaria. The result is a striking new book challenging one of the international community’s most persistent narratives about life in the region.
What does Palestinian life in Judea and Samaria really look like? A new photographic investigation by the Regavim Movement is turning the camera toward a reality rarely seen in international headlines: sprawling private estates, swimming pools, landscaped gardens, fountains, guest houses and multi-story luxury villas.
And Regavim researchers did not spend months searching for them. Every home featured in the new book was photographed in a single day.
Titled Real Estate Under Occupation, the new publication documents dozens of large and luxurious Palestinian homes across Judea and Samaria, including in communities routinely presented to international audiences almost exclusively through the language of poverty, deprivation and humanitarian crisis.
The book was researched and photographed by Regavim Field Coordinators Moshe Shmueli and Roey Druker, who set out to document a side of Palestinian life largely absent from the international conversation.
What they found was difficult to miss.
In Shukba, for example, they documented a 4,800-square-meter private estate built around a central swimming pool, with landscaped grounds, shaded guest pavilions and an expansive private courtyard.
In Nahalin, they photographed a 1,120-square-meter neo-classical estate featuring seven balconies, a turret tower, fountain, ornamental pool and landscaped terraces.
In Khirbet Zif, they found large private compounds complete with swimming pools, manicured gardens, guest units, saunas, CCTV systems, fountains and private access roads.
Across the region, the book documents multi-story villas with classical stone columns, expansive terraces, ornamental orchards, electric gates, private parking areas, hospitality compounds and enormous landscaped courtyards.
According to Regavim, the photographs expose the striking gap between the reality visible on the ground and the image of Palestinian life routinely presented to foreign governments, diplomats, international organizations and the media.
“For years, the international community has been shown a carefully curated picture of Palestinian life in Judea and Samaria, focused almost exclusively on poverty, deprivation and oppression,” said Naomi Kahn, Director of Regavim’s International Division. “We decided to point the camera in another direction. In a single day, we documented enormous villas, swimming pools, landscaped estates and extraordinary private wealth that almost never appears in the international conversation about ‘occupation.’”
The title Regavim has given this new expose’, Real Estate Under Occupation, is deliberate. Throughout the book, Regavim borrows and satirizes terminology commonly used by international organizations and NGOs to describe Palestinian life under Israeli control. Descriptions of “oppression,” “extreme want” and “hardship” appear alongside photographs of elaborate private estates, swimming pools and manicured grounds.
The point, Regavim says, is not that poverty does not exist. It is that a selective picture is not the whole picture, particularly when that picture is used to shape international opinion and policy.
“No one seriously examining Judea and Samaria should be satisfied with a carefully selected version of reality,” Kahn added. “International policy has consequences, and it should be based on what is actually happening on the ground. The world has heard the narrative for decades. Real Estate Under Occupation invites people to see another part of the picture for themselves.”
Real Estate Under Occupation was researched and photographed by Moshe Shmueli and Roey Druker and published by the Regavim Movement.
by a grand marble staircase with hand-carved stone balustrade.
The main residence spans three stories, with two expansive
balconies, with a two-story secondary structure. Within the estate
grounds, an additional courtyard pavilion adorned with a decorative
dome enhances the architectural ensemble.
The sweeping staircase leading to the entrance of the main residence
is framed by exceptionally tall stone columns, creating a striking and
imposing arrival experience.
The property is distinguished by its surprising and sophisticated
spatial development, featuring expansive manicured lawns, abundant
ornamental landscaping, a stately palm-lined avenue, and a semi-
crescent glass-enclosed seating pavilion sheltered from the wind – an
elegant setting for refined outdoor living.
as a symmetrical, multi-level composition
clad in elegant, light-toned natural stone.
The residence features an impressive
façade adorned with classical columns and
semi-circular balconies accented by ornate
wrought-iron balustrades.
The grounds include a central swimming
pool, shaded guest pavilions, meticulously
curated landscaping, and an expansive
courtyard enclosed by a massive stone
perimeter wall – providing exceptional
privacy and lending the property the
presence of a modern-day castle.
featuring eleven balconies. The residence is distinguished by
custom-designed windows, dramatic arches, and uniquely
carved stone columns, complemented by modern gray-tiled
roofs. A grand central window anchors the façade, while multiple
entrances at varying levels enhance both its architectural depth
and functionality. Situated in a quiet, emerging area near a main
thoroughfare, the property combines privacy with accessibility.
Within the grounds are two impressive covered outdoor seating
complexes, constructed in striking stone and supported by carved
stone columns – creating elegant open-air spaces for leisure and
entertaining.
palace, commanding attention with its grand architectural presence. The
structure is distinguished by a central white dome, tiered tiled roofs, and
six wraparound balconies adorned with finely chiseled stone balustrades.
The crown jewel of the property is its vast hospitality courtyard,
featuring a beautifully designed swimming pool, a central fountain, and
two luxurious gazebo structures – creating an indulgent outdoor living
experience. Encircled by an ornate stone perimeter wall and enhanced by
rich, meticulously maintained landscaping, the estate offers a refined and
opulent lifestyle within a private and impressive compound.
