JERUSALEM (Press Release) — US Jewish leaders in Israel for the Conference of Presidents Mission joined local Israeli advocates, and government officials on a recent visit to the Mount of Olives Cemetery (Har Hazeitim) to inspect vandalism and other evidence of violence at the world’s most ancient Jewish cemetery.
The International Committee for the Preservation of Har Hazeitim (ICPHH) and leaders from the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations recently conducted the on-site visit with Minister of Public Affairs and the Diaspora Yuli Edelstein.
The ICPHH is committed to countering the rampant desecrations, violence directed at visitors and illegal Arab construction on land zoned for cemetery use and works closely with government offices including the Prime Minister’s Office to “reclaim the only cemetery in the world in which three Prophets are buried alongside Israeli Prime Ministers and Nobel Laureates,” according to Avraham Lubinsky, ICPHH chair and a NY businessman.
Aimed at combating the increased deterioration of the cemetery in recent years, the Committee’s list of urgent action demands spell out key changes needed on the ground to ensure the safety and sanctity of the world’s most famous Jewish cemetery. Among these positions is a call for the establishment of a police substation at the site since at present there is only a skeleton crew of security personnel to patrol the vast cemetery grounds.
Furthermore, as noted in a scathing report by Israel State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss, a portion of the funds needed to effect change have been allocated by the Israeli Government yet implementation has been occurring at a painfully slow and ineffective rate. Among the projects that are taking much time to develop are the installation of cemetery-wide security cameras and sensors. However, through the Jerusalem Development Authority, a quasi-governmental organization, many of the cameras are now slated to come online this summer.
The situation at the Mount of Olives Cemetery also raises the ire of members of the Knesset. “At present, there is a need to call ahead for a security escort prior to visiting Har Hazeitim to ensure the safety of visitors to the site. This is not acceptable in Israel in 2011,” stated Danny Danon, Deputy Speaker of the Knesset. Looking towards a viable solution, Danon noted that “…what is lacking is one Minister with both the mandate and the power to protect the Mount of Olives Cemetery and who will achieve meaningful change.”
Other maladies plaguing the Mount of Olives Cemetery include gravestones that have been wantonly smashed and broken by vandals. Stoning incidents of mourners are commonplace. There is also widespread Arab building of homes on land zoned for cemetery use. Extreme examples of this occurrence are the construction of private homes directly over older Jewish graves. Other areas of the cemetery’s perimeter serve as de facto garbage dumps.
The historic cemetery, known in Hebrew as Har Hazeitim, overlooks Jerusalem’s Old City and is home to graves traditionally associated with Biblical figures such as the prophets Haggai, Zachariah and Malachi; the Talmudic commentators Rambam and Rashi; modern-day Israeli legends including Prime Minister Menachem Begin, writer Shmuel Yosef Agnon, and reviver of modern Hebrew Eliezer Ben-Yehuda; and well-known Jewish figures from abroad, including Hadassah founder Henrietta Szold.
The Mount of Olives has been a Jewish cemetery for over 3,000 years and is comprised of over 100,000 graves. The site is also holy to Christians and there are numerous churches in the vicinity. In recent years, the cemetery has fallen into a state of general neglect and disrepair, with local Arab villagers driving across it to take shortcuts and sometimes attacking Jewish visitors to the graves.
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Preceding based on material provikded by DJW Consulting Media Relations