Each time the Occupation decides to develop the city of Jerusalem , they tend to demolish and erase Arab heritage monuments, and what happened to Bab Al-Asbat cemetery is only an evidence of the continuous Israeli violations that aim to erase Arab Islamic and Christian heritage.

  Sunday, Oct 29^th 2020 , the occupation municipality demolished the stairs  that lead to Bab Al-Asbat cemetery (Al-Yousifiya) through Bab Al-Asbat (Al-Asbat gate also known as Lion’s gate).

The Occupation municipality demolished the stairs under claims of the need to move heavy equipment into the cemetery that overviews the Mount of Olives. Surveyors showed up and put signs on the ground , which means that the project of the Sky train is soon to be implemented. Noting that the occupation municipality have approved an outline for a sky train that connects Olive mount, Bab Al-Asbat (Lion’s gate)   , and the Buraq wall (Western Wall) . This Judaization scheme aims to change the identity of the city , it is also supported by colonial radical institutions.

These stairs have a great significance for the city’s people , it is the only way for Wadi Al-Jouz and At-Tur neighborhoods residents to reach the Al-Aqsa compound. The value of these stairs in the Jerusalemite’s hearts comes from all the memories they have on the stairs, it is their way to go the mosque for Eid prayer , Friday prayer, and the five prayers of the day . And to the left of the stairs lies the heroes who defended the city against the Israeli Occupation in the Six day war  ; martyrs of 1967 who forever lie next to the mosque they died for.

It seems as if the only thing that hindered the city’s development is those stairs. The occupation only “develops” Palestinian cities through destroying them , but do not see that streets at Arab neighborhoods need rehabilitation and pavement , and that Arab areas need more parks , schools and public facilities.

This is not the first time Israelis violate a Palestinian cemetery , Mamilla cemetery was also ravaged and the headstones were demolished, Ravaging Arab cemeteries was also reported in the cities of Haifa and Yafa.

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This report was prepared with EU funding, the contents of this document do not reflect positions of the European Union