Israel is moving forward with a major project to build a new visitor education center on Har Hazeisim, part of a broader effort to upgrade security and deepen public understanding of one of the world�s most significant religious and historical sites.

The 1,500-square-meter complex � a joint initiative of the Israeli government and the International Committee for Har Hazeitim (ICHH) � is now under construction amid the ancient tombstones of the cemetery, the oldest and largest Jewish burial site in the world, which holds the graves of roughly 150,000 Jews.

In a statement, the ICHH described the Mount of Olives as �the pantheon of the Jewish people � an unrivaled center of Jewish history and education.� The committee was created in 2010 after a State Comptroller report found years of neglect and recurring vandalism at the site.

Security issues have long been a central concern. �One of the biggest challenges we faced was the lack of security: the desecration, the vandalism by adolescents from eastern Jerusalem,� said Jeff Daub, the ICHH�s Israel chairman.

The new center is designed to tackle those vulnerabilities. Plans call for a police substation, undercover officers, reinforced fencing and gates, upgraded lighting, more than 230 security cameras, and 24/7 monitoring. The project�s total budget is 25 million NIS, or more than $7.7 million. The facility will serve both as a security hub and as an orientation and touring center for the hundreds of thousands who visit the site annually.

�ICHH and the Government of Israel quickly understood that the best way to ensure the safety of tourists, students, and mourners was to attract more visitors � and that required a permanent police presence,� the committee said.

Daub emphasized that the center is intended to serve all who come to the Mount of Olives, regardless of background. �Everyone is welcome � Jews, Christians, Muslims, tourists, soldiers, students,� he said. �But its purpose is to highlight the Jewish presence on the Mount of Olives.�

Construction is slated for completion in December 2026, with an opening targeted for February 2027.

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