A group of Palestinian rioters destroyed the altar of Joshua in the West Bank, a place of worship for millions of Jews and Christians.
The altar on Mount Ebal was damaged last week when rioters burned tires at the site and spray-painted Palestinian flags and Arabic inscriptions on the stone, The Jerusalem Post reported.
According to the TPS report, the site is under joint management with the Palestinian Authority and has been the target of repeated vandalism, part of a larger problem of attacks on Israeli sites under Palestinian control. It becomes.
“Unfortunately, sacred Jewish and Christian sites have repeatedly been colonized by Muslims, including the tomb of Rachel near Bethlehem, the tombs of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Leah, and Rebecca in Hebron, and the tomb of Joseph in Shechem (Nablus). ),” Pastor Petra Herdt, a prominent Christian scholar who has lived in Israel for 40 years, told FOX News Digital.
“This is a consistent pattern that shows that there is a desire to eliminate the presence of Jewish and Christian history in Eretz Yisrael, the historic land of the Jewish people. Like other holy sites, it must be protected from Palestinian vandalism.”
The site was later visited by Israeli activists from the Struggle Forum for All Dunum, who called on Israel to do more to protect Israel's holy sites.
“The serious incidents that occurred this week are a direct result of the absence of Jewish presence on this hill,” the organization said in a statement, according to the TPS report.
“Today, it is clearer than ever that only a permanent Jewish presence in a farm or town can guarantee real control over the place and prevent further damage or destruction of the altar. became.”
Herdt expressed similar sentiments, pointing out the importance of altars. Jewish people and calls for further action to protect sacred sites.
“The altar dates back to the time of Joshua (1400 B.C.), when he led the Jews from exile to the Promised Land,” Herdt said. “There is an immediate need to properly protect the site from such acts of vandalism. Establishing a permanent Jewish presence on and around Mount Ebal will ensure that the site remains sacred to Jews and Christians in perpetuity.” It will be done.”
