Protection of Holy Sites Law
Religion
Active
1967
Empowers the Ministry of Religious Affairs to designate the names of the holy sites in Israel. To date, the Ministry of Religious Affairs has declared 135 Jewish sites as holy sites and has not declared any Muslim, Christian, or Druze holy places as recognized holy sites.
In 2004, Adalah filed a petition against the Minister of Religious Affairs, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice, demanding the Minister of Religious Affairs to make regulations to maintain the Muslim holy places in Israel, as the Minister has done with the Jewish holy places. The court dismissed the petition, but the state then committed to allocating funds to maintain Muslim holy sites.
In 2004, Adalah filed a petition against the Minister of Religious Affairs, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice, demanding the Minister of Religious Affairs to make regulations to maintain the Muslim holy places in Israel, as the Minister has done with the Jewish holy places. The court dismissed the petition, but the state then committed to allocating funds to maintain Muslim holy sites.
Press Releases
- Adalah Petitions Supreme Court in Name of Muslim Religious Leaders Demanding Legal Recognition for Muslim Holy Sites in Israel
- Supreme Court Rejects Adalah's Petition Demanding the Protection of Muslim Holy Sites in Israel Claiming that the Definition of Specific Sites as Muslim is a “Sensitive Matter” - 16 March 2009
