Erasing Jerusalem: Israel replaces historic Arab names with Hebrew ones
Israeli municipality workers install a new sign for Damascus Gate in occupied East Jerusalem (X)
The Palestine Chronicle reports on 27 August 2026:
Key Developments
- The Jerusalem Governorate accused Israeli authorities of systematically replacing traditional Arab names of streets and landmarks with Hebrew alternatives.
- Authorities reportedly removed signs identifying Bab al-Amoud, or Damascus Gate, and installed a sign reading “Old Gate.”
- Palestinian Minister for Jerusalem Affairs Ashraf al-Aawar was detained near Al-Aqsa Mosque on Wednesday, his second detention within a week.
Israeli authorities are replacing historic Arab names across occupied Jerusalem in what Palestinian officials describe as an attempt to reshape the city’s identity and erase its Arab, Islamic and Christian heritage.
The Jerusalem Governorate said Wednesday that Israeli authorities had removed signs bearing the historic name of Bab al-Amoud, widely known in English as Damascus Gate, and installed a sign identifying the landmark as “Old Gate.” Bab al-Amoud is one of the principal entrances to Jerusalem’s Old City and one of its most recognizable Palestinian landmarks.
The governorate said the change should not be viewed as an isolated administrative decision, but as part of a broader Israeli policy targeting the historical and cultural landscape of Jerusalem.
According to the statement, the names attached to the city’s gates, streets and landmarks constitute part of Jerusalem’s “national, historical and cultural memory.”