protest in Jaffa
protest in JaffaPolice spokesperson

The Tel Aviv District Court issued an interim order on Wednesday morning to stop construction work on a homeless shelter at the site of the ​​historic Al-Isaf Muslim Cemetery in Jaffa.

Judge Limor Bibi froze the construction following a petition filed by the Muslim Council against the municipality on the grounds that the building permit was not valid. The first hearing will be held on July 22.

Dozens of Arabs protested this morning near the cemetery on Nahum Goldman Street in Jaffa, demanding that the work be stopped. The protesters attempted to forcefully enter the fenced area and threw stones and sprayed tear gas at police. Several protesters were arrested.

The Tel Aviv-Yafo municipality said in response that "the court ordered the cessation of work because of the petitioners' claim that the permit was not valid. As a result, the court ordered the cessation of work until the claim can be clarified in a few weeks. As always, the municipality follows the court's instructions, and therefore ordered the cessation of the work until further clarification."

Several Arab riots have occurred over the last few days in Jaffa over the construction near the cemetery. Protesters burned trash cans and set fire to vehicles and trucks, and even threw a Molotov Cocktail at a building belonging to the municipality.

A Muslim cemetery existed at the site until the 1920s, when the site was used for a soccer field for the Jaffa Muslim soccer club. During the British Mandate, the Muslim Waqf rented the field to build warehouses for the British port.