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Israel backs down over court building on Palestinian cemetery

February 14, 2014 at 5:47 am

The Israeli Ministry of Justice has backed down on plans to build a courts complex on land which forms part of the historic Ma’man Allah Palestinian Cemetery in Jerusalem. The ministry decision was revealed by Al-Aqsa Foundation for Religious Endowments and Heritage.

In a media statement, the foundation said that it had received a message from the parliamentary office of Jamal Zahalka MK who had queried the government’s intention to build on the cemetery. Zahalka was informed by the Justice Minister’s office that the project has been cancelled.


The decision follows a campaign by Al-Aqsa Foundation which has been lobbying local and international organisations to put pressure on the Israeli authorities to scrap the plan. Large areas of the cemetery have already been destroyed and used for other purposes by the Israeli government and municipality of the occupied city.