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Joseph’s tomb torched
Tell me again about the Religion of Peace™
Palestinians have set fire to Josephs Tomb, a Jewish shrine in the West Bank, hours after a group of Jewish settlers held holiday prayers there with an Israeli army escort, witnesses say. They said Palestinian youths threw burning tires into the tomb after the group had left in the early hours of the morning on Thursday. The blaze tore a large hole through the domed roof of the three-room shrine, which was empty at the time.
I'd say their milk of human kindness had curdled, but we already knew that...
Abdel Fatah Fayad, who lives near the tomb, said a group of Jewish settlers and Israeli soldiers entered it around midnight. "They prayed and danced and took over a few buildings surrounding the tomb and made noise," he said. "At about six o’clock they and the army left the area. Afterwards, a (Palestinian) student set fire to the tires and threw them."
What're the "students" studying? Vandalism?
The Israeli army, which controls security in the area, said weather conditions caused the fire to burn out on its own shortly after the tires were thrown in. No one was injured and the tomb was undamaged. Joseph’s Tomb is located in the Palestinian city of Nablus but left unguarded. Jewish worshippers have required military escorts there since Palestinians launched an uprising against Israeli occupation three years ago. "During Jewish holidays we cannot prevent people the freedom of prayer. So when requests are made (for an escort) we consolidate groups and escort them," an army spokesman said. Jews are observing their Succoth harvest festival this week. Some Jews believe the site is the tomb of biblical patriarch Joseph, although some archaeologists dismiss the claim. The tomb has been vandalised by Palestinians and marked with graffiti by religious Jews since the start of the uprising.
And we’re supposed to give these people a state why again?
The Paleostinian Authority has also obligated itself to protect the site. They do a good job, don't they?

Posted by: Atrus 2003-10-16
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=19950