Israel replaces Damascus Gate name on East Jerusalem signs
Israeli authorities have replaced “Damascus Gate” with “Ancient Gate” on public signs in occupied East Jerusalem, in what critics describe as a further attempt to erase the city’s Palestinian identity.
Damascus Gate, on the northern side of Jerusalem’s Old City, is one of the most prominent entrances through its ancient walls.
It is also a main route for Palestinians travelling to Al-Aqsa Mosque and a key social gathering point.
Earlier this week, signs bearing the name Damascus Gate were removed and replaced with “Ancient Gate” in Arabic, English and Hebrew.
Abdullah Marouf, a researcher specialising in Al-Aqsa Mosque affairs, said Israel was seeking to Judaise Jerusalem by replacing Arabic and Islamic symbols in public life with Jewish ones.
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He said the area around Damascus Gate was a vital part of daily life for Palestinians and that Israel had long sought to change its name.
“This Hebrew name aims to strip the place of its ‘Damascus Gate’ designation, as it is one of the main and central gates of Jerusalem,” Marouf told Middle East Eye.
Attempts to rename landmarks in the area are not new, Marouf said.
Israel previously renamed Solomon’s Cave, between Damascus Gate and Herod’s Gate, as “Zedekiah’s Cave”.
Such names, Marouf said, were intended to alter the character and identity of Jerusalem.
“Israel has proven its utter failure in achieving this goal, as the image, nature and Arabic language of Jerusalem are clear, and a sign in one of the city’s streets cannot change its reality,” he said.
The latest change comes amid a wider campaign targeting street names, landmarks and historical sites across Jerusalem.
The Jerusalem Governorate said Israeli authorities were replacing long-standing Arabic names as part of a policy to reshape the city’s urban and cultural landscape.
In a statement on Wednesday, the governorate said the changes were not simply administrative measures but part of a broader effort to sever future generations from the city’s historical Arabic names.
“The names of Jerusalem’s gates, streets and landmarks represent an integral part of the city’s national, historical and cultural memory,” it said.
“Replacing them with new names undermines Jerusalem’s identity and its Arab, Islamic and Christian heritage.”
The governorate warned that such measures would not erase Jerusalem’s history or its national and cultural memory.
Israel’s occupation and later annexation of East Jerusalem, including the Old City, are not recognised under international law. The Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits an occupying power from making permanent changes to occupied territory except where required for military or humanitarian reasons.
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