Hundreds of Jews who arrived at Kever Yosef in the West Bank city of Sh’chem (Nablus) overnight were stunned to find the compound severely vandalized – yet again. Israel pulled its forces out of the compound in October 2000. The IDF disallowed Jjews from entering it for a long period of time due to security concerns, and deserted, it has been burnt down and defaced many times. December of 2008 saw Kever Yosef restored and the military began allowing Yidden to visit it once more, but always at night and under heavy military guard, for their own safety.
Last night’s visit was approved by the proper military authorities and the IDF provided the mispallelim with an escort.
The group which entered the compound was made up of some 500 people. Upon entering the ohel they found it had been defaced – the headstone smashed and swastikas sprayed on the walls, as well as graffiti of a blood-dripping sward over a Magein Dovid, and another “trampled” by a boot.
Some reported seeing visible boot prints all over the compounds, which they claim are consistent with the Palestinian police standard issue boots.
“Woe to the nation that allows its sacred places to be vandalized like this over and over again,” said Gershon Mesika, head of the Shomron Regional Council, who was among the visitors.
“Only barbarians could do such things. People who pathologically disgrace such a holy place don’t deserve to be called human beings,” he added. “The Palestinian police terrorists have long since lost all shred of humanity. The State of Israel must return to Kever Yosef, as even the horrible Oslo Accords state.”
The Shoulder to Shoulder group, which facilitates those who wish to take part in tefillos held in Kever Yosef called the situation “outrageous,” adding that “on many a visit to the tombs of the just throughout Samaria we find them desecrated. This situation is unacceptable and must be rectified.”
Yossi Dagan, of Chomesh First, added that “if Jews were to even to consider inflicting one-tenth of this horror on a tomb of an Arab sheik, the entire world would get up on its hind legs and protest. What’s absurd is that we are to blame, since even the Oslo Accords place the tomb under our responsibility.”
{Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israel/Ynet}
