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The city of David attracts thousands of visitors every day. Situated in Silwan, an Arab neighborhood located just below the Old City in East Jerusalem, the birthplace of biblical Jerusalem is the theatre of key archaeological excavations.

We were not given permission to film the tour, so we entered as tourists with an amateur camera. The bible becomes a compass for this tour, very much appreciated by religious Jews. And although 45,000 Palestinians live in this area, the group doesn’t see any on the way.

Visiting this site is very different for those who join the “alternative tour” proposed by Shalom Archav (Peace Now), an Israeli peace group. During their excursion, participants discover anther side of Silwan, those of its Palestinian inhabitants, some of whose homes are under threat from the archaeological digs.

Led by Ragit Ofran, a member of Shalom Achshav, the group meets Ahmad, a Palestinian resident. The man is exasperated. He explains in Hebrew how and why the archaeological digs are encouraging the arrival of families of Jewish settlers in his area.

The tourists also hear about the Elad foundation, which gives money to the city of David and the archaeological digs. This foundation is linked to the settler movement and encourages religious Jews to move into Silwan.

Back on the official tour of the city of David, the perception is very different. We discover the tunnels of ancient Jerusalem, and at the end of our journey, a political summary is once again offered. "We’re back in Israel, explains the tour guide, we’re back in our homeland, we speak our ancient language, Hebrew. Jerusalem is the Jewish capital again."