Israel builds pub on historic Jerusalem cemetery

The Arab League has condemned the Israeli construction of a pub on a historic cemetery in East Jerusalem.

Earlier this month, Israeli authorities opened a pub on part of the Mamilla cemetery, which is believed to date back to the seventh century.

In a Monday statement, the Cairo-based Arab League described the Israeli construction as a “grisly crime”.

“For many years, Israel has been targeting this cemetery,” the statement said, warning of grave consequences of continuing the Israeli desecration of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

The Mamilla cemetery houses the remains of some companions of Prophet Muhammad, important intellectuals and many Muslim and Christian combatants who fought against the Crusaders.

Burials in Mamilla continued until 1948, when Israel was created on the land of historic Palestine.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East War. It later annexed the holy city in 1980, claiming it as the capital of the self-proclaimed Jewish state – a move never recognized by the international community.