A decision to ban the work of the "Nature and Parks authority” in Al-Rahmeh Gate Cemetery in Jerusalem
The Israeli Magistrate Court issued a temporary injunction last Thursday evening banning the Nature and Parks Authority from conducting any work at Al-Rahmeh Gate Cemetery and the adjacent hilltop at the eastern wall of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Attorney Sami Arshid explained that the Israeli Magistrate Court issued a decision obliging the Israeli Nature and Parks Authority to refrain from carrying out any works in the cemetery and the hilltop, since the land is for Ansari and Husseini families; a session was scheduled on 20-12-2017.
In his application to the court, Arshid added that there is no authority for the Israeli Nature and Parks Authority to enter and work in the land of the cemetery. It is an Islamic “Waqf” and the adjacent land is a “Waqf” for two-families, and no part of this land has been confiscated. The work that was done since the beginning of last week is a violation to the rights of the owners.
The Nature and Parks Authority under the protection of occupation forces started cutting and uprooting trees in the cemetery last Sunday in order to build a wall and place barbed wires to prevent burying the death in new parts of the cemetery.
Wadi Hilweh Information Center added that the Nature and Parks Authority started taking control of parts of the cemetery (southern part knows as the Silwan Cemetery) and prevented locals from burying the dead in those parts. They also placed soil and grass on top of some graves in an attempt to hide their identity but were confronted by the locals who cleaned the cemetery.
The center added that the Israeli authority placed barbed wires around a part of the cemetery but were later removed and cleaned by Jerusalemites.
The center also pointed out that the occupation authorities confiscated parts of the cemetery in the late 1990’s in order to expand the nearby street.
