Rabbi Elnekaveh explained that Jewish Law prohibits the destruction of synagogues and cemeteries. Considering the unique situation at hand, permission was granted to exhume the bodies and rebury them elsewhere in concert with the bereaved families.
The rabbi is calling upon the government to leave the tombstones behind and demand that the United States and the international community give assurances that the Palestinian Authority (PA) will respect the sanctity of the location and permit the cemetery to remain undefiled – to include it along with guidelines and responsibilities surrounding the Disengagement.
Rabbi Elnekaveh added that if the cemetery is destroyed, Israel would lose the right to demand that European and North African countries preserve ancient Jewish cemeteries. The rabbi called upon the government to respect the dead as well as the living and not to destroy the cemetery located in N’vei Dekalim.