The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) told the High Court of Justice that it was prepared to allow construction of the Museum of Tolerance on the site of an ancient Muslim cemetery in Jerusalem’s Mamila area, although an important archaeologist had determined that the excavation was far from complete.
IAA approves of building museum on ancient Muslim cemetery
The cementary was in use until at least 1948. It was stolen from its legal owners who fled from war or were kicked out of their homes in 1948. Israel has a unique absentees’ property law that allows to confiscates land owned by people currently not in Israel. Since 2004 the law is used to acquire land in east Jerusalem which Israel occupies since 1967.
Understandably, the Muslim community in Jerusalem is offended:
Ikrema Sabri, the Mufti of Jerusalem, demanded a halt to the excavations and said the Muslim religious authorities had not been consulted on the dig. Saying that the cemetery was in use for 15 centuries and that friends of the Prophet Mohamed were buried there, the Mufti declared: "There should be a complete cessation of work on the cemetery because it is sacred for Muslims."
Under Israel’s "absentee property" law the cemetery was taken over by the Custodian of Absentee Property after the 1948 war. Mr Saif said the Custodian had no right to sell the cemetery to the Jerusalem municipality in 1992.
The Jerusalem Museum of Tolerance is financed by the Los Angeles based Simon Wiesenthal Center which describes itself as a "Jewish human rights organization dedicated to repairing the world one step at a time." In Los Angeles the Center has its central Museum of Tolerance which "challenges visitors to confront bigotry and racism."