Ministry of Culture opens photo gallery in Gaza focusing on the threats facing Jerusalem

A photo gallery has been opened in Gaza by the Ministry of Culture with an exhibition focusing on the status of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque. During the opening ceremony a group of children carried a series of photographs of the elected Palestinian Legislative Council Members currently seeking refuge at the Headquarters of the International Red Cross in Occupied East Jerusalem. The men are under threat of deportation by Israel.

Talks were given at the ceremony at which the Israeli occupation authority’s threat to occupied East Jerusalem and the holy places was discussed. Concerns were raised about the effects of the occupation on the MPs in the Red Cross compound, Khaled Abu Arafeh, Ahmed Attoun and Mohammed Totah, who are seeking to block the deportation move through the Israeli courts; a fourth PLC member, Mohammed Abu Teir, has already been deported to Ramallah in the West Bank.

The Gallery’s exhibition comprises images of Al Aqsa Mosque and its various passageways and entry points which are under increasing threat from incursions by the Israeli authorities. The exhibition also includes images of the growing number of Israeli-sanctioned excavations and tunnels which are expanding across Jerusalem and under the Sacred Mosque.

The Ministry of Culture said that the Gallery is part of the effort to focus attention on Israel’s continuing violations in Jerusalem and to bring attention to plight of the MPs. It is hoped that the exhibition will serve as a reminder of the importance of Jerusalem to Palestinian Muslims and Christians, and highlight the threats facing the Holy City from the Israeli occupation.

MEMO Photographer: Mohammed Asad