Beit Safafa is an Arab village that was divided along the train tracks between Jordan and Israel, following the War of Independence. With the Six Day War, the village reunited, and with the expansion of city limits became incorporated into greater Jerusalem as another community.

The Gonenim neighborhood is a residential area which includes public services, and strip malls. According to municipal statistics Gonenim numbers some 16,600 residents. The population includes well established and low income families, with diverse religious affiliations.