Yerushalayim…In what was deemed as unprecedented and historic, Housing and Construction Minister Rabbi Yitzhak Goldknopf announced a major budget of NIS 115 million (nearly $30 million) for the security and preservation of Har Hazeisim. The Minister said that the unprecedented allocation followed a half year of negotiations with Treasury officials. Minister Goldknopf made the announcement during a special tour of Har Hazeisim and reception in the Seven Arches Hotel, events arranged by the International Committee for Har Hazeisim (ICHH).
In addition to Minister Goldknopf, also attending the historic tour and announcement were MK Rabbi Erez Malul, Chairman of the Knesset Caucus for Har Hazeisim, the largest caucus in the Knesset, Rabbi Yehuda Morgenstern, CEO of the Ministry of Housing, and Avraham Lubinsky, Chairman of the International Committee for Har Hazeisim as well as members of the Committee from the US and Israel. Minister Goldknopf added: “This budget is part of the national budget of the State of Israel. I would like to thank the International Committee for Har Hazeisim for involving me in this very important project for Jews worldwide.”
During the tour of Har Hazeisim joined by officials of the Housing Ministry and ICHH, Rabbi Goldknopf revealed that he has been closely monitoring all the activities on the holy mountain for some time and particularly the work of the ICHH. The tour was held after half a year of extensive work by professionals in the Ministry of Housing together with representatives of the Ministry of Finance to help shape the unprecedented budget for Har Hazeisim, which is now part of the State of Israel budget.
During the tour, the Minister, Sheila Adler who has been coordinating the budget details, and MK Malul were briefed by Mr. Lubinsky, Moshe Bruce, the executive director of the ICHH, and Jeff Daube, chairman of the ICHH committee in Israel.
In his remarks, Minister Goldknopf, whose ministry is responsible for security on Har Hazeisim thanked Mr. Lubinsky and the representatives of the committee. “We understood how important it is to act for Har Hazeisim, which is the oldest cemetery after the Me’oras Hamachpeilah and Kever Rachel.” He added: “This is a budget that will enable us to hire additional security guards as well as embark on other security measures, as per the suggestions of the ICHH.”
In his remarks, Mr. Lubinsky noted: “13 years ago we began a campaign to restore honor and dignity to this holy place. What the Minister is doing today is taking Har Hazeisim to another level. Our fight for security for so many years has finally borne fruit, thanks to the Minister. This will give us the ability to upgrade the security and safety that is needed here so that there is no fear to visit the graves of our sacred leaders and loved ones as well for people from around the world to explore the extraordinary history of this coveted mountain.”
Yehuda Mitzintran, Director General of the Ministry of Housing, said: “Security is important to us as it is to everyone who comes here. Increasing the budget to the level of a ministry budget will ensure significant funding for years to come. This is an unprecedented historical achievement. It transforms us from begging for a meager handout to a well-established budget that is anchored in the State budget.”
MK Erez Malul, said that “Har Hazeisim is the place from which the redemption of Klal Yisrael will begin and where Mashiach will soon be revealed. This mountain has a history from David Hamelech to this day. Personally, my grandparents are buried here, and for many years on the day of their yarhrzeit day, we would not visit out of fear, and today, thanks to the important work of the committee, we visit periodically and daven.”
MK Malul added: “In my last position at the Ministry of Religions, I became aware of the problems that exist here on the mountain, full of neglect and abuse. We worked in cooperation with the Committee and the Jerusalem Municipality, the Ministry of the Interior, for the sake of the martyrs who are buried here. “When I entered the Knesset, I worked to revive the Har Hazeisim caucus which in 2016 was the largest caucus in the history of the Knesset. Everyone knows what Har Hazeisim means to Jews, and I am happy to stand here today with Rabbi Goldknopf and acknowledge the respectable budget for maintaining and protecting Har Hazeisim for years to come.”
