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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