Kever Rochel and Machpelah No Longer “Israeli Sites”
The Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel’s Tomb, both holy sites in Judea and Samaria, will be omitted from Israel’s list of national heritage sites, contrary to a promise made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu two years ago, Army Radio reported Tuesday.
The list of national heritage sites was expected to be approved by the government on Tuesday. Officials in the Prime Minister’s Office insist that the two sites were left off the list for purely logistical reasons, but other government officials suggested that the decision was motivated by fear of worldwide condemnation.
In 2010, Netanyahu announced a list of sites, including the Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel’s Tomb, which were slated for rehabilitation and renovation as part of Israel’s National Heritage Program. However, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova expressed concern that inclusion of the two sensitive sites would escalate tensions in the region, and U.N. Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry said the sites were “of historical and religious significance not only to Judaism but also to Islam and to Christianity as well.”
Now, with the final list submitted to the ministers for approval, it has emerged that the two sites have been omitted by a prioritization committee.
Science and Technology Minister Rabbi Professor Daniel Hershkowitz (National Religious Party) submitted a letter to Cabinet Secretary Zvi Hauser, Army Radio reported, demanding to restore Rachel’s Tomb and the Cave of the Patriarchs to the list.
“Omitting Rachel’s Tomb and the Cave of the Patriarchs is like denying our elementary heritage,” Army Radio quoted him as writing in the letter. “They are the burial place of our three fathers and four mothers. The state of Israel extracts its entire heritage from these sites.”
Army Radio quoted a Prime Minister’s Office statement as saying that “the projects slated for approval today are sites that require immediate and urgent renovation. Rachel’s Tomb is already undergoing extensive renovation anyway and no specific problems were identified at the Cave of the Patriarchs.”
obamas fault!
obviously…
heritage shmeritage
No one can take away the fact that these particular plot were actually PURCHASED by Avraham and Yaakov…
Evil
disgusting…does the Israeli government have any idea what G-d is going to do to them for what they are doing here and to the settlers and not protecting the border and Israeli women? Makes me sick!
Milhouse
Kever Rochel was not purchased by anyone. And in any event, the Arabs don’t believe in the Torah, so they don’t acknowledge that we bought anything. AND they also claim to be Avrohom’s yorshim, so even if they believed Avrohom bought Meoras Hamachpelo they would still claim it was theirs.
Eretz Yisrael is ours forever.
not even the ‘list’ will take the Avos and Imahos away from us! Hashem sees everything!
??
Does this mean we cannot visit these sites now?
Milhouse
#6, Why would you think that? What possible connection do you see between this and that?
CH Resident
That’s why I donated $ to Feiglin’s wing of Likud (manhigut yehudit). I detest Netanyahu.