A "Pillbox" Tour of Jerusalem With the British Mandate Police

With the departure of the Ottomans and the arrival of the British Empire, the new authorities—true to form—believed proper policing required proper training. And so, one of the earliest institutions they established was the Police Training School in Jerusalem.

Map detail: “Jerusalem in Panorama” by S.N. Spyridon, 1945 (with 1955 updates). On the left: the Police Training School building. Eran Laor Map Collection, National Library of Israel

The school first opened in 1921, closed in 1923, and reopened in 1926. Its cadets included both Jewish and Arab recruits. Documentation from the school’s early years is limited, but we do know that Israel’s first Minister of Police—and signatory to the Declaration of Independence—Bechor-Shalom Sheetrit served as its deputy commander during that formative period. Researcher Noʻomi Levenḳron uncovered a 1927 notebook belonging to Binyamin Plaskovsky, a trainee at the school.

In its early years, the school changed locations several times before settling in what is now the Ma’alot Dafna neighborhood.

Map detail showing the police compound in present-day Ma’alot Dafna, 1927. Scale 1:2,000. Published by the Survey of Palestine. From the collection of Dr. Benjamin Daniel Foner Hyman (1944–2024), attorney, urban planner, and legal scholar. National Library of Israel

The same area following the construction of the new Police Training School building, just south of the original site. To the east, the Royal Air Force Wireless Service station is visible—complete with markings for two signal masts. Map scale 1:1,250, Survey of Palestine, 1938. From the collection of Dr. Benjamin Daniel Foner Hyman (1944–2024), attorney, urban planner, and legal scholar. National Library of Israel

In 1935, a new concrete building was constructed for the school, complete with an interior courtyard. Today, that structure houses UNRWA.

Local recruits training at the Police Training School, 1936. Matson Photograph Collection, Library of Congress

Once training was complete, recruits could be assigned to a variety of roles—including traffic control:

A police officer at the modern-day intersection of Queen Shlomtzion and Agron Streets. In the background: the edge of the Mamilla Muslim cemetery.
1930s. Matson Photograph Collection, Library of Congress

6 660 — Another view of the same Jerusalem intersection, 1930s. Matson Photograph Collection, Library of Congress

A closer look reveals the insignia of the British Palestine Police on the officer’s cap.

Police officers and volunteers on David Street in the Old City, 1929. Matson Photograph Collection, Library of Congress

British officers evacuating Jewish families from the Old City during the 1936 riots.
Matson Photograph Collection, Library of Congress

Police officers were stationed across the city—assigned to various stations and lookout points. To better monitor key roads and maintain control, the British built a series of fortified posts. These were known as “pillboxes,” because of their circular, pillbox-like shape.

We tracked down five known “pillboxes” that once stood in Jerusalem. Of those: two have been destroyed, two remain at their original locations, and one has been relocated slightly from its original site.

Let’s begin with the two that were destroyed:

1: Near the Shimon HaTzadiq Neighborhood

This “pillbox” once stood between the neighborhoods of Shimon HaTzadiq and Nachalat Shimon, at the intersection of Othman Ibn Affan Street and Nablus Road.

Map published by the Survey of Palestine, 1945. Scale 1:2,500. Eran Laor Map Collection, the National Library of Israel

The “pillbox” position near the Shimon HaTzadiq neighborhood. In the background: damaged Jewish vehicles attacked en route to Mount Scopus. From the Moshe and Batya Carmel Collection, Yad Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, YBZ.0677.451, part of the Archive Network Israel Project, made accessible through the collaborative efforts of Yad Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, the Ministry of Jerusalem and Heritage, and the National Library of Israel.

On an Israeli map published by the IDF in 1948, the post is labeled with the more practical Hebrew name ta mishmar (“guard cell”), rather than the British term. But in practice, the nickname “pillbox” stuck—and it’s still the go-to term in Hebrew today, including among IDF soldiers when referring to modern-day guard positions. It’s worth noting that Israelis often pronounce the word as “fillbox”, due to its spelling in Hebrew beginning with the letter פ, which is used for both the “P” and “F” sounds

2: Near the Sanhedria Neighborhood

This “pillbox” stood near what is now Golda Meir Boulevard (coming up from Admorim Leiner Street on the left), not far from the Sanhedria Cemetery. It was demolished during road construction to connect Sanhedria with the Ramot neighborhood.

Map, scale 1:1,250, dated 1939. From the collection of Dr. Benjamin Daniel Foner Hyman (1944–2024), attorney, urban planner, and legal scholar. National Library of Israel

Map published by the Survey of Palestine, 1945. Scale 1:2,500. Eran Laor Map Collection, National Library of Israel

The same map segment as it appears in an Israeli IDF publication from 1948.
In this version, the pillbox is labeled with the functional Hebrew term *ta mishmar* (“guard cell”). Eran Laor Map Collection, the National Library of Israel

Now for the two that still stand:

3: Near the Monastery of the Cross

At the intersection of Tchernichovsky and Herzog Streets stands a “pillbox” that remains highly visible in a central part of the city.

“Pillbox near the Monastery of the Cross,” photographed by Ephraim Dagani, 1964.
Courtesy of Nadav Mann, Bitmuna. Dagani Collection, the Pritzker Family National Photography Collection, the National Library of Israel

The same “pillbox”, now adorned with painted figures of British guards. Photo: Ayelet Rubin, 2025

4: Corner of Emek Refaim and Pierre Koenig Streets

The “pillbox” located within the Reuveny Plant Nursery compound at the corner of Emek Refaim and Pierre Koenig Streets. Photo: Ayelet Rubin, 2025

5: Hebron Road

Much like the architectural relocation projects seen at Sarona in Tel Aviv (starting in 2005) or the Stern House in Mamilla, which was moved and partially restored to its original site, the “pillbox” on Hebron Road was relocated in 2013 to make way for urban development. It now stands just a short distance from where it once stood.

A “Pillbox” Tour of Jerusalem With the British Mandate Police

In 1920, the British Mandate authorities established the Palestine Police Force. Come take a step back in time as we trace the history of this key institution through rare photographs and period maps—focusing on its distinctive presence across Jerusalem.

Further Reading: