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For first time in 18 years, Jews pray at biblical tombs in Palestinian village
Hundreds of Israeli Jews held a rare prayer session by a mosque in a Paleostinian village in the West Bank early Sunday, an AFP photographer said. The Israeli army accompanied buses carrying over 300 ultra-Orthodox men, mostly from the Breslov Hasidic sect, to Younis mosque in Halhul, north of Hebron, where according to Jewish tradition biblical prophets Gad and Nathan are buried. One worshiper told AFP it was the first time in 18 years that Jews were allowed to pray at the site, deep in a Paleostinian-controlled area. A military spokeswoman said the army and police forces accompanying the worshipers were attacked by Paleostinians hurling "rocks and Molotov cocktails," with the forces responding with riot dispersal means to "prevent further escalation." No injuries were reported, the spokeswoman said. According to tradition, the graves are located inside the mosque, but the Jewish worshipers did not enter the holy site, rather holding an hour of pre-dawn prayers on the road outside before leaving, the photographer said. There are a number of sites holy to Jews in Paleostinian-controlled areas in the West Bank that are the site of pilgrimages. Most popular are Rachel’s Tomb near Bethlehem, and the Tomb of Joseph in Nablus. Israeli security forces arrest 6 Palestinian suspects in West Bank raids [Ynet] IDF, Shin Bet, Border Police and Israel Police forces arrested six wanted Palestinians overnight Saturday who are suspected of terror activity and violent rioting in the West Bank. The suspects were taken for questioning. Posted by: trailing wife 2017-11-20 |
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