Posted: 07/18/2013 at 5:08pm | IP Logged

HEBRON, WEST BANK (ANS) -- Jewish worshippers who arrived at The Cave of Patriarchs in Hevron (Hebron) after Muslim prayers on Friday were horrified to find that the site had been vandalized, according to www.israelnationalnews.com .

The online news site says The Cave (known as Me'arat Hamakhpela in Hebrew) is usually split between Jewish and Muslim worshippers, but this past Friday it was open exclusively to Muslim worshippers in honor of Ramadan.

Hebron is located in the southern West Bank in the Palestinian territories 30 km (19 mi) south of Jerusalem. It is the largest city in the West Bank, and the second largest in the Palestinian territories after Gaza. It is home to approximately 250,000 Palestinians. Between 500 and 850 Jewish settlers are concentrated in and around the old quarter.

Israel National News says that when the Jewish section of the site was reopened, worshippers were horrified to find widespread desecration. Two mezuzot - cases containing Jewish holy scriptures affixed to the doorpost - had been torn off and stolen, and a third was damaged. Muslim worshippers had also allegedly thrown mud and garbage around the site, and uprooted parts of the garden outside.

Noam Arnon, a spokesperson for Hevron's Jewish community, called upon the government to take such acts of desecration "at least as seriously as the burning of carpets in a mosque" - a reference to the string of condemnations and promises of a crackdown by authorities against acts of vandalism on mosques by suspected Jewish extremists.

"After a 'Price Tag' attack everyone rushes to condemn - the government, Members of Knesset, even the Chief Rabbis - and the police promise to do 'everything in their power' to catch those responsible. The people of Hevron are waiting to see if they will react in the same way to this act of desecration," Arnon said.

Arnon added that such acts were commonplace, particularly during Muslim holidays.

He added: "I can't say that we're surprised, because this kind of thing happens after every Muslim festival. But we are still hoping that justice will be done."

Israel National News said the Cave of the Patriarchs is considered Judaism's second holiest site, after the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It is the burial place of the Jewish patriarchs - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - as well as three of the four matriarchs - Sarah, Rebekah and Leah (the fourth, Rachel, is buried in Bethlehem).