JERUSALEM
Palestinians have strongly reacted to Israel's construction plans over the site of a historic cemetery in Jerusalem.
A group of Palestinians gathered at the Mamilla Cemetery on Sunday and protested Israel's plans to construct several buildings, which they said included a museum, a night club and a dog shelter.
"Dog shelter in the Mamilla Cemetery, a big shame", and "That's Israel's moral," chanted protestors. They also claimed that Israeli workers secretly removed graves during the night.
Manager of Al-Aqsa Foundation, Nacih Bukeyrat, urged on Palestinians to bury their deceased to the Mamilla, which is located just to the west of the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem.
He said in order to prevent Israel's construction efforts on the site, Palestinians should bury their deceased to the historic cemetery, adding that Isreal's attacks on the cemetery was aimed wiping out the Muslim heritage of Jerusalem.
Several Ottoman soldiers are also buried in the cemetery.
The cemetery was attacked last week, which was blamed on extremist Jews who reportedly vandalized tombs by writing "death to Arabs" and drawing the Star of David on them.
A significant portion of the cemetery was destroyed and hundreds of human remains desecrated for the construction of "the Center for Human Dignity-Museum of Tolerance" on this sacred Muslim site by the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center.
