A crowd of Palestinian youths pelted Israeli soldiers with stones and empty bottles Feb. 22 in clashes that erupted a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added a disputed Hebron shrine to Israel’s list of national heritage sites.
At a special Cabinet meeting Feb. 21, Netanyahu announced the plans for the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, as well as Rachel’s Tomb on the outskirts of Bethlehem, to be added to a list of national heritage sites that Israel will rehabilitate and promote. Altogether, about 150 sites are on the list.
The Palestinians claim all of the West Bank as part of a future state, and see the Israeli move as a provocation. In fact, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, speaking Feb. 23 during a visit in Belgium, warned that the region could plunge into a “religious war.”
The cave site in Hebron is holy to both Jews and Muslims. Jews revere it as the traditional burial place of the Bible’s Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Muslims call it the al-Ibrahimi mosque, reflecting the fact that Abraham is also considered the father of Islam.
In explaining his decision, Netanyahu said the strength of Israel is “anchored, first and foremost, in our national and emotional legacy, which we instill in our youth and in the coming generations.”
Hebron merchants shuttered their stores in protest, and some 100 youths burned tires and threw stones and bottles at Israeli forces in the city. Israeli soldiers responded with tear gas and stun grenades. It was the most serious violence in the volatile West Bank city in months.
The Israeli military said one soldier was slightly wounded, while Palestinians said three protesters suffered from tear gas inhalation. — jta & ap