Renovation work has begun on rabbis' graves situated in Arab districts in the Galilee Region, Israel Hayom has learned.
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The work has drawn mixed reactions from residents of Shefar'am and Araba, where a majority of the renovations are underway.
"I call on Jews to come to live with us in the city," Shefar'am Mayor Orsan Yasen said. "They lived here together with us years ago, and there are Jews who were born in Shefar'am. I would be happy to have them here with us."
Yasen recently authorized requests from religious Jews to renovate the burial compound of Rabbi Judah ben Bava, which is located in Shefar'am's western neighborhoods.
Following complaints to the police, the municipality, and the local planning and construction committee, residents learned that some of the work at the site was being carried out without a permit.
Another two compounds set to be renovated are under the jurisdiction of the Araba Municipality. According to one agreement signed with the city and seen by Israel Hayom, one site is that of 2nd-century Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa and his wife. According to the wording of the contract, the agreement was signed to allow for dignified prayer at the site of the graves while respecting the neighbors and the other residents of the city working adjacent to the graves.
Unlike in Shefar'am, the renovations in Araba sparked more vocal opposition. A local religious figure, who criticized the mayor for the move, was even arrested last week. Although he has since been released, he is forbidden from approaching the site, which is situated next to the local cemetery.
Some opponents of the renovation work have voiced concerns the entry of Jewish workers and visitors could lead to the establishment of a Jewish settlement there that displaces the local Arab community.
A local leader in Araba, however, stressed: "Jews and Arabs live together as good neighbors in the Galilee. Jews are always welcome here."
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