Between 1936 and 1948, Jewish residents of East Jerusalem faced violent expulsion and destruction of their properties and synagogues, culminating in the Jordanian army's occupation during the War of Independence, which eradicated the Jewish presence in the area. The Jordanians demolished significant synagogues to erase Jewish history and prohibited Jewish access to holy sites despite international agreements. It wasn't until Israel's victory in 1967 that the Jewish community began to return to East Jerusalem.