PA misrepresents repair work on an ancient Jerusalem synagogue as "an attempt to Judaize and falsify the Arab appearance of Jerusalem"

Headline: “Jerusalem District: The plan to build a synagogue in the Al-Aqsa Mosque area constitutes a falsification of the city’s Arab appearance”

“The [PA’s] Jerusalem District condemned the beginning of procedures to build a new synagogue named ‘Tiferet Israel’ at a distance of approximately 200 meters west of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque (sic., refers to repair work on the Tiferet Israel Synagogue that was built in 1872 and destroyed by the invading Jordanian army in 1948).

The district said in a statement yesterday, Saturday [Oct. 23, 2021], that this step constitutes a new crime against the holy sites and an additional attempt to Judaize and falsify the Arab appearance of the city, especially because the synagogue will be established on the ruins of an Islamic waqf (sic., the synagogue is not built on a waqf – an inalienable religious endowment in Islamic law; see note below). It warned against the danger of besieging the Al-Aqsa Mosque with a series of synagogues and biblical parks, which has included the ‘Hurva’ Synagogue (see note below -Ed.), in an attempt to Judaize the Al-Aqsa Mosque, its surroundings, and Jerusalem.”

The original Tiferet Israel Synagogue was constructed in 1872 on land that had been purchased from its Arab owners. It was destroyed by the Jordanian Legion in 1948. Contrary to the claims made in the above item, no mosque existed on the site. A Muslim sheik's grave was discovered there during foundation work, but was moved outside the city walls in accordance with the decision of the city’s Muslim religious judge.

The original Hurva Synagogue was completed in 1864 on the ruins of a previous synagogue, which had been destroyed in 1720; it was destroyed by the Jordanian Legion in 1948. Contrary to Palestinian claims, no mosque existed on the site; synagogues and other Jewish community buildings had stood there since the 13th century.