President Reuven Rivlin on Monday 26 Tammuz visited Har HaZeisim to get a first-hand look at the vandalism at the location.

Following a visit to his parents’ graves the president continued on to the Afghan section of the cemetery which has in the past months suffered severely from acts of vandalism, which has caused significant damage to many of the Jewish graves there. The president was accompanied by four relatives of people buried in the section of the cemetery, as well as the president of the Afghan Jewish community in Israel, Reuven Kashani, Rabbi Refael Bakshi who is responsible for the section of the cemetery, Rabbi Hillel Horowitz, Director of Cemeteries in Jerusalem, and Israel Police District Commander Shmueli.

At the time of the inspection, there were 62 graves which had suffered severe damage from vandalism across the mountain’s cemetery; some were strewn with litter which had been dumped there, graves had been set on fire, and visitors to the graves had endured regular stone throwing attacks, and other serious assaults which were preventing people being able to visit their loved ones’ graves. The police commander clarified that the security at the site, and the police presence would be stepped up, and explained to the president the actions which had been taken to prevent the attacks, in cooperation with the Ministry of Infrastructure which was also responsible for the maintenance of the site.

Rivlin heard of the difficulties in monitoring the sabotage and vandalism attacks, as there had been three attacks on the security cameras. Rabbi Horowitz explained to the President that a high fence was planned for the north-eastern end of the mountain, and of the plans of a number of events to encourage visitors to the site.

The President walked between the shattered gravestones and asked the sculptors repairing them to work swiftly to do so. “We have returned to our homeland, yet even during ups and downs, we never abandoned it,” said the President. “In any other place across the world, there would have been a tremendous outcry if such things would occur. I have no doubt that, as the sovereign authority, we must do all we can to prevent such acts. This is a highly sensitive area, where the majority of residents wish to live in peace and quiet, and we must put an end to the provocation. It cannot be so that in our state, we are unable to stop such terrible vandalism.” The president said to the families of those buried on the mountain, “I understand the terrible heartache, but we must not despair nor give up, we will never be moved from here.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)