Israel has reportedly started to change the Arabic names of historic streets in the occupied Old City of al-Quds into Hebrew, as part of its efforts to Judaize the occupied Palestinian territories, an expert on the issue says.
Fakhri Abu Diab, member of the Defense of Silwan Land Committee and a researcher on al-Quds affairs said on Sunday that crews from the municipality recently replaced the wall sign of “al-Wad Street” in the Old City with the Hebrew name “Hagevura”, the Palestinian Information Center reported.
Abu Diab described the move as “part of Israel’s efforts to Israelize and Judaize the holy city, distort its general scene and falsify its Islamic and Arab identity, history and culture.”
He noted that Israel has also Judaized the name of the Umayyad Palaces area near the al-Aqsa Mosque as well as alleys and streets in the neighborhood of Silwan.
Abu Diab further accused the Israeli regime of seeking to remove and obliterate the Arab roots of al-Quds, impose the Hebrew culture and identity in the holy city and brainwash foreign visitors.
Over the past years, Israel has been making desperate attempts to change the geographic and demographic character of the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly al-Quds.
The city has been witnessing fierce clashes between extremist Israeli settlers and Palestinian worshippers in recent months over the al-Aqsa Mosque Compound.
The al-Aqsa Mosque compound is the third-holiest site in Islam. It is located in East al-Quds, which Israel annexed following its invasion in 1967, in a move never recognized by the international community.
Israeli forces and settlers regularly storm the site, which they call the Temple Mount, and violently attack Palestinian worshipers there.
Israel occupied the Old City of al-Quds during the Six-Day War of 1967. After the end of hostilities, the regime allowed the Awqaf to retain authority over the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, or the Haram al-Sharif.
Israel lays claim to the entire al-Quds, but the international community views the city’s eastern sector as occupied territory and Palestinians consider it the capital of their future state.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 478, adopted on August 20, 1980, prohibits countries from establishing diplomatic missions in al-Quds.