Gaza: Israeli occupation authorities continue to change the names of streets, landmarks, and historical sites in occupied Jerusalem as part of a policy aimed at erasing their longstanding Arab names and imposing Hebrew ones.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the Jerusalem Governorate stated that staff affiliated with the occupation authorities have installed a sign bearing the name 'Old Gate' after removing signs with the name Bab al-Amud (Damascus Gate). Bab al-Amud is one of the most prominent gates of Jerusalem's Old City, historically and geographically tied to the city and its Arab identity.
The governorate emphasized that the changing of names is not merely an administrative measure but part of a broader policy aimed at reshaping the city's urban and cultural landscape. This initiative seems to be an attempt to disconnect future generations from the city's longstanding Arab names and centuries-old history.
Furthermore, the governorate stressed that the names of Jerusalem's gates, streets, and landmarks form an integral part of the city's national, historical, and cultural memory. Attempts to replace them with new names are viewed as undermining Jerusalem's Arab, Islamic, and Christian identity and heritage.
The Jerusalem Governorate also warned that the continued implementation of such policies seeks to alter the city's historical character and impose a new reality. It stressed that changing names will not erase Jerusalem's history or its national and civilizational memory.