AMMAN: The Jerusalem District Court issued a temporary restraining order against the city鈥檚 Israeli-run municipality on Thursday, forcing the municipality to cease its conversion of the waqf-owned Al-Yousefieh cemetery into a park.

In a press statement issued on Wednesday, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry鈥檚 spokesperson, Dhaifallah Fayez, reiterated Jordan鈥檚 鈥渞ejection and condemnation of the excavations and leveling works carried out by the Israeli authorities at the cemetery鈥檚 fence and stairs.鈥� Jordan described the action as 鈥渄esecration of graves鈥� and called on the Israelis to immediately stop the operation.

Wasfi Kailani, senior official on Jerusalem Affairs and director of the Hashemite Fund for the Restoration of Al-Aqsa Mosque, told Arab News, 鈥淭he case is important because it sheds a light on the continued acts of desecration against a cemetery that is still being used these days by Jerusalem鈥檚 Muslims. This is a documented waqf property and the cemetery 鈥� which is named after the son of Salah Eddine, Yusef bin Ayoub 鈥� is sacred to Muslims around the world, especially for Jordan and the Arab Legion (the former Jordanian army).鈥�

Kailani said that official complaints had been filed with the Israeli government and UNESCO in 2014 and 2016. 鈥漌e have known for some time that Israel had its eyes on this land near the wall adjacent to Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Lion鈥檚 Gate,鈥� he said, adding that those complaints had included 鈥渄ocumentation of Israeli authorities pouring concrete below and over existing graves in order to stop Muslims (burying) their dead at this location.鈥�

The municipality鈥檚 plans for the park reportedly include a memorial erected by Jerusalemites with the approval of former Israeli mayor Teddy Kosleck to honor members of the Jordanian army who were killed in the 1967 war. Kailani claimed that would cause emotional hurt and damage to the families of the dead.

鈥淚magine the reaction of families of these brave Jordanian soldiers who are buried at the site as they see kids playing and dancing on the graves of their deceased martyrs,鈥� he said.
Palestinian lawyers Muhaad Jabara and Hamzeh Quteieh told Arab News that the court鈥檚 decision means that the municipality鈥檚 actions were illegal.