Travelers from Jordan reported today that Jordanians are desecrating the Mount Olives Jewish Cemetery, one of the most sacred Jewish places in Palestine, by planting trees on the site. They also stated that for some time tombstones were being stolen from the cemetery, for use as building materials.
The Jordanians are claiming the afforestation program in the cemetery, which served as the final resting place for pious Jews from all over the world for centuries, is part of a program to beautify the road from Amman, the capital of Jordan, to old Jerusalem which is under Jordanian control.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
