The Mount of Olives (or Har Hazeitim, as it is known in Hebrew) in Jerusalem is the site of the world’s oldest and most venerated Jewish cemetery. Overlooking the Temple Mount across the Kidron Valley, it was mentioned by the prophets in the Tanach, has served as a sacred Jewish graveyard for more than 3,000 years and is traditionally considered a harbinger of the Messianic era.

In May 2010, then-State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss issued a scathing report detailing the cemetery’s deterioration, warning that it was in a sad state of disrepair. Har Hazeitim had become plagued by vandalism, stone-throwing and criminal activity, largely by local Arabs. The violence not only made visits dangerous but also hindered preservation and restoration efforts.

Jeff Daube, who made aliyah from the United States in 2007 and has served since 2010 as Israel’s representative to the International Committee for Har Hazeitim (ICHH), told JNS that the situation has dramatically improved in recent years, as evidenced on its website.