Palestinian boy's name erased from Jerusalem memorial wall

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/22/palestinian-boy-name-erased-jerusalem-memorial-wall

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The name of a Palestinian boy who was murdered by Jewish extremists in east Jerusalem last summer has been removed from an official memorial wall in the city’s Mount Herzl cemetery after his family objected.

Haim Pitoussi, spokesman for the group that administers the wall, confirmed that the name of Mohammed Abu Khdeir, 16, had been erased.

His father, Hussein Abu Khdeir, said on Tuesday his son’s name had been placed on the memorial without the family’s consent. “I am Palestinian, not Israeli, even if I am a resident of east Jerusalem, and I do not want his name written next to that of Israeli soldiers,” he said.

The wall is one of two: one bears the names of fallen soldiers and the other those of victims of terrorist attacks.

Israel was on Wednesday marking its annual day of remembrance for both groups, with official ceremonies being held across the country, including ceremonies at Mount Herzl.

Mohammed Abu Khdeir was kidnapped and burned to death last July, a day after the burial of three Israeli youths kidnapped and murdered by Palestinians from Hebron. Although a number of Arab names are on the wall, the vast majority of the names are victims of attacks by Palestinian militants.

• This article was amended on 22 April 2015. An earlier version said Abu Khdeir was believed to be the first Palestinian killed by Jewish Israelis to be listed on the memorial wall. In fact he was not the first.