Creeping Annexation

I was at Menachem Begin's grave this afternoon for the yahrtzeit memorial ceremony with son Benny and family and admirers including Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, aspiring future President MK Ruby Rivlin, Professor Aryeh Naor and fellow employees of the Menachem Begin Heritage Center.

Prior to the ceremony, looking out at the Temple Mount,

I spotted something I had not seen previously:

a new cemetery section, on the opposite, to the west, slope of the Mount of Olives.

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From Lady Jane to Bossi Aurelia de la Tour d'Auvergne

Have you ever heard of Lady Jane Ellenborough (1809 - 1881)?

British Lady Jane Ellenborough (Jane Digby) was romantically involved with many men. She married her first husband, Edward Law, 2nd BaronEllenborough (later Earl of Ellenborough), in 1824, at age 15.  Lady Jane was notoriously promiscuous, and her marriage to the Earl did not last. After divorcing him she moved to Munich with Felix, Prince Schwarzenberg, an Austrian diplomat who resigned his position at the London Embassy to be with her. When Prince Felix decided not to marry her, she married Baron Venningen-Ulner, with whom she had a child.

When Lady Jane's husband caught her in an affair with Count Spyridon Theotoky of Greece he challenged the Count to a duel. After winning the duel and wounding Count Theotoky, Baron Venningen released her from the marriage, and their relationship remained friendly. She married Theotoky, moved to Athens, and had a child with him, but divorced him after the accidental death of their 6-year old son. An involvement with an Albanian general ended when he was unfaithful to her...

And to continue,

[In 1855, Lady Jane travelled to the Middle-East to Damascus and] While there, she met Arab nobleman Sheik Abdul Medjuel El Mezrab, who would be her final husband [and who was 17 years her junior. She stayed with him for the rest of her life, before dying of a heart attack in Damascus in the year 1881]. Impressing the Mezrab family with her knowlege of horses, Jane eventually became a leading figure in Arab society, visiting Europe several times in Islamic garb and critiquing Richard Burton's "Arabian Knights." One of her last journal entries reads: "It is now a month and 20 days since Medjuel last slept with me! What can be the reasons?”

Her biography.

I found this, in the Missouri State Journal, June 20, 1873:-

She is buried in the Protestant Cemetery in Damascus

Is her grave unharmed by the recent fighting?

This painting by Joseph Stieler was completed in 1831 when Jane was 22.

But what intrigues me is, who is  Madame de la Tour d'Auvergne and her house on Jerusalem's Mount of Olives?

It took me some time, but this seems to be the answer:

There was the "Church of the Ascension" to mark the spot whereby tradition (contrary to the direct statement of Luke) states that the Ascension occurred; now the site is marked by a small octagonal chapel, built in 1834, which is in the hands of the Moslems. There a "footprint of Christ" is shown in the rock. A large basilica of Helena was built over the place where it was said that Christ taught His disciples. In 1869 the Princess de Latour d'Auvergne, learning that there was a Moslem tradition that this site was at a spot called el Battaniyeh south of the summit, here erected a beautiful church known as the Church of the Pater Noster and around the courtyard she had the Lord's Prayer inscribed in 32 languages. When the church was in course of erection certain fragments of old walls and mosaics were found, but, in 1911, as a result of a careful excavation of the site, the foundations of a more extensive mass of old buildings, with some beautiful mosaic in the baptistry, were revealed in the neighborhood; there is little doubt but that these foundations belonged to the actual Basilica of Helena. It is proposed to rebuild the church.

And her tomb is there:

Aurélie de Bossi [Bossi Aurelia], the Princess de la Tour d’Auvergne, had a particular devotion to the Lord’s Prayer. She erected translations of the prayer in 39 [sic] different languages.  Later she added a convent for Carmelite Sisters [ In 1868 she built a cloister modeled on the Campo Santo at Pisa, Italy and founded a Carmelite convent in 1872]. While the buildings were being constructed, she lived nearby in a wooden cabin brought from France. The princess was also keenly interested in the cave — which she never discovered, although she suggested where it might be.

Excavations by archaeologists in 1911 found the cave exactly where she had predicted it to be. It was partly collapsed when it was discovered.

The princess died in Florence in 1889, but her last wish was for her remains to rest in the Pater Noster Church, in a tomb which she had prepared. Her wish was fulfilled in 1957. On top of her sarcophagus is a life-size effigy

Case closed.

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Now the "Fake Graves" Story

I have attended meetings devoted to the efforts to provide proper and adequate security for the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives. A friend, Jeff Daube, is very active. The desecration of those graves during the 19-year Jordanian illegal occupation when tens of thousands were disturbed, destroyed and renoved for construction purposes as well as for walkways and latrine covers is well documented. The desecration continues and recently American elected officials were stoned there.

But this item highlights what I have termed the 'inventivity/disinventivity' model of Palestinianism, whereby the Arabs make-up elements of their presumed historical connections to this land as a national group and at the same time attempt to deny and delegitimize any proven Jewish connection to the Land

The occupation plants thousands of fake graves around Al-Aqsa

A Jerusalemite Foundation unveiled a significant escalation in the occupation authorities’ activities in implementing [sic] fake Jewish graves around Al Aqsa Mosque and the Old City of Jerusalem, attempting to “forge and Judaize the city’s history.”

Al-Aqsa Foundation for Waqf and Heritage said, in a report released on Monday that the occupation, through its executive power in the city of Jerusalem, is implanting [or is that implementing, see above] thousands of fake Jewish graves around Al-Aqsa Mosque and in the Old City, under governmental decisions...The foundation considered that through such operations, the occupation intends to Judaize all the area surrounding Al-Aqsa as well as the Old City, and is trying to impose its control on Palestinian endowment lands in order to implant graves, settlements, Talmudic gardens and Jewish institutions. It added: “The occupation is falsifying the geography, the history and the monuments in order to legitimize the implantation of the Jewish fake graves and Jewish fake holy sites.”

The report pointed out that the empty graves were implanted at the pretext of carrying out repair and maintenance works as well as engineering surveys and statistics. It is noted that the Israeli authorities prohibit the restoration of the Islamic historical graves in the city of Jerusalem and are demolishing and washing away hundreds of them.

How can we make peace with such an irrational mindset shared by the majority of Arabs in Judea and Samaria?

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Come Protest Arab 'Price Tag' Violence

On February 25 there'll be an EMERGENCY PUBLIC FORUM to protest what they call the "Arab Version of 'Price Tag' Violence on Mt. of Olives"

Details;

The International Committee for the Preservation of Har Hazeitim is calling to turn back the newest round of violence on the Mt. of Olives Cemetery. 

The oldest and largest Jewish cemetery in the world, this site is subjected to non-stop violence against visitors, grave desecrations, an unlawful mosque expansion, illegal building – all part of a concerted Arab effort to assert control over the burial site used by Jews for 3,000 years.

Keynote speakers Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Daniel Ayalon and Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations Exec. Vice Chair Malcolm Hoenlein, with Knesset Members Tzipi Hotovely (Likud), Yoel Hasson (Kadima) & Isaac Herzog (Labor), will explore today's urgent concerns & review progress made in recent months.

When: The English-language program will begin at 8:30 pm sharp, Saturday, February 25, 2012
Where: Jerusalem Great Synagogue (56 King George St / Jerusalem)

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Mount of Olives Destruction - For the Record

In an interview (in Hebrew) in the weekly Ma'yanei HaYeshuah, 530, Sarah Barnea who leads tours through the cemetery on Mount of Olives notes that the destruction on the Mount during the 19 years of Jordanian occupation, which actually started following the halt of burials after February 25, 1948 until the Six Days' War of June 1967 included:

"the desecration of graves in an organized and systematic fashion. Seventy per cent of the gravestones were destroyed. Three army camps were built on the site using the gravestones for paving. The Jerusalem-Jericho highway was widened into the cemetery area on the graves and the Sefaradi section was covered over in dumped soil for the construction of a parking area."

In the original:

‬בט"ו‮ ‬באדר‮ ‬א'‮ ‬תש"ח‮ ‬(25.2.1948),‮ ‬לאחר‮ ‬הפיצוץ‮ ‬ברחוב‮ ‬בן‮ ‬יהודה,‮ ‬נפסקה‮ ‬הקבורה‮ ‬בהר.‮ ‬במשך‮ ‬תשע‮ ‬עשרה‮ ‬שנות‮ ‬השלטון‮ ‬הירדני,‮ ‬חולל‮ ‬והושחת‮ ‬בית‮ ‬הקברות,‮ ‬נעשה‮ ‬בו‮ ‬הרס‮ ‬מאורגן‮ ‬ושיטתי,‮ ‬שבעים‮ ‬אחוז‮ ‬מהמצבות‮ ‬נהרסו.‮ ‬שלושה‮ ‬מחנות‮ ‬צבאיים‮ ‬של‮ ‬הלגיון‮ ‬הירדני‮ ‬נבנו‮ ‬מהמצבות,‮ ‬כביש‮ ‬ירושלים-יריחו‮ ‬הורחב‮ ‬על‮ ‬גבי‮ ‬המצבות,‮ ‬ובחלקה‮ ‬הספרדית,‮ ‬ממערב‮ ‬לכביש,‮ ‬שפכו‮ ‬ערימות‮ ‬עפר‮ ‬על‮ ‬הקברים‮ ‬והקימו‮ ‬מגרש‮ ‬חניה".‮

And, by the way, desecration continues. And also here. Here, too.

That is so not proper, nice or cultured.
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Forget 'Sheikh Jarrah', The Action is at Mt. of Olives

For Your Information:

Israel Government Officials, US Jewish Leaders, Israeli Activists to Inspect Mt. of Olives Cemetery 'Crisis' on Friday

Visit Will Emphasize "Shocking and Unacceptable" Conditions
at World's Oldest—but Violence-Fraught—Jewish Cemetery

US Jewish leaders currently in the country for the Conference of Presidents Mission and local Israeli advocates, together with government officials, will visit the Mount of Olives Cemetery (Har Hazeitim) to witness vandalism and explore violence at the world's most ancient Jewish cemetery on Friday, February 18.

The International Committee for the Preservation of Har Hazeitim (ICPHH) and leaders from the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations will conduct the on-site visit. Minister of Public Affairs and the Diaspora Yuli Edelstein, COP Executive Vice Chair Malcolm Hoenlein, senior officials from the Jerusalem Development Authority as well as other Jewish and Israeli leaders will take part.

The ICPHH is committed to countering the rampant desecrations, violence directed at visitors and illegal Arab construction on land zoned for cemetery use...

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A New Dead Arab Idea

No, I'm not being dismissive or condescending.  Or racist.

They started it:-

If the living cannot stop Jewish settlement expansion in the West Bank, perhaps the dead can?

Dubbed “The Intifada of Graves,” a new Palestinian initiative endorses burying the dead on privately owned Palestinian land in outlying rural areas to prevent its confiscation by Israel. The campaign was launched by the Popular Palestinian Committees (PPC), a grassroots organization based in Hebron which has spearheaded non-violent political activity since the first Palestinian Intifada (uprising) in 1987.

Azmi Al-Shyukhi, secretary-general of the PPC, said the new initiative was his own brainchild, but received the endorsement of Palestinian Minister of Local Affairs Khaled Al-Qawasmi and State Minister for Wall and Settlement Affairs Maher Ghneim...Hagit Ofran, Settlement Watch project director at Israel’s Peace Now organization, said the Palestinian initiative was part of an ongoing land struggle between Israeli authorities and Palestinians.

“This is an attempt [by Palestinians] to bring their plight to public attention,” Ofran told The Media Line. “It may work, or at least embarrass Israel, as part of a struggle for awareness.”

They have blown themselves up so why not this? Death has no sanctity for them.

But, then again, what are the Pals. to do with the Jewish dead in Hebron's Cave of the Patriarch?

Ah, yes, there is always what the did to thousands of Jewish graves on the Mount of Olives, up until 1967 and afterwards, as well.

Now, why didn't Ofran think about that?

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UPDATE

Iran is calling it the Intifada of the Graves.

Temple Mount at Night

Found here, at the new Jewish purchase of property on Mt. of Olives called Choshen.