Rachel’s Tomb, Cave of the Patriarchs cut from national heritage program

Rachel’s Tomb, Cave of the Patriarchs cut from national heritage program

Army Radio: Inclusion of two holy sites in Judea and Samaria sparked worldwide criticism • PMO insists omission stems from logistical considerations • In 2010, Netanyahu announced the sites were to be part of Israel’s National Heritage Program. 

Israel Hayom Staff

The Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. |  Photo credit: Rafael Ben-Ari

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.”