Palestine asks US to boycott Jerusalem Judaization ceremony

By Awad Rajoub

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Palestine on Saturday urged the US administration not to attend a “Judaization” ceremony scheduled for Monday on the land of an Islamic cemetery in occupied East Jerusalem.

In a statement, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said American Zionist groups are planning to hold a Judaization ceremony on the land of Ma'man Allah cemetery in Jerusalem.

"We urge the current US administration not to send its officials to attend this ugly celebration which contradicts the US policy regarding the future of the city of Jerusalem,” the ministry said.

A number of officials of former US President Donald Trump’s administration, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, will participate in the event, according to the ministry.

The Palestinian ministry said the ceremony is part of Israeli plans to Judaize Jerusalem and to “change its civilizations landmarks and its Arab-Palestinian identity."

It described the ceremony as a “provocative attack on a historic Islamic cemetery” and “a flagrant violation of international laws and norms”.

Located west of Jerusalem, Ma'man Allah is the oldest, largest, and most famous of Jerusalem's cemeteries.

Israeli authorities have built tourist facilities and other buildings on parts of the cemetery, including the so-called Museum of Tolerance.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and annexed the entire city in 1980 – a move that has never been recognized by the international community.

* Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar