Threats Of Jihad Terror After Israel Includes Cave Of Patriarchs, Rachel's Tomb In List Of National Heritage Sites

Ynetnews.com reports that "the decision to declare the Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel's Tomb national heritage sites ahead of their renovation may lead the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to another boiling point: Abu Ahmed, a spokesman for the Islamic Jihad's military wing, threatened Tuesday to launch attacks within Israel.

"If the Israelis continue to damage our mosques and holy places, we will respond within the Zionist territory," the al-Quds Brigades spokesman told Ynet. Abu Ahmed further said that "in the coming months, or to be more exact – in the next six months, the rules of the games are expected to change and the attacks will not only be against the settlers in the West Bank, but also within the entity, as we are aware of the fact that the soft underbelly and the biggest pain are when the attacks take place deep inside the enemy's territory. As far as we are concerned, the annexation of the mosques to the heritage sites is another move of aggression and a move aimed at completing the Judaization of the holy sites – and all the organizations are required to respond."

Sheikh Khaled al-Batsh, one of the Islamic Jihad's leaders, said that "the Zionist decision on the heritage sites will be abolished, just like the occupation will be abolished. This makes it clear to us once again that with the enemy we must only use the language of force and resistance and Palestinian unity, in order to return to the Zionist enemy the mind it has lost, which has caused it to make such decisions." He clarified that "the Palestinians will never agree to have the historic battle with the Zionist enemy settled in favor of the Zionist occupier. We will continue to believe in victory, will continue to hang on to the Palestinian issue, and the conflict will only be resolved when it’s in our favor."

Ynet further reports that Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad joined the condemnation of Israel as he "called on the international community on Tuesday to pressure Israel to renege on its decision to add the Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel's Tomb to the list of heritage sites. Fayyad said the move matched Israel's policy to establish the occupation. The Palestinian prime minister added that the media had ignored the fact that Israel also declared Jerusalem's walls as heritage sires. 'The Old City's walls are inside eastern and occupied Jerusalem, which will be Palestine's eternal capital.'"

A host of Israeli members of the cabinet shot back at the Palestinian threats. Israel's Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan blasted the Palestinian president: "Abu Mazen (Abbas) is finding it difficult to be freed of his past as a Holocaust denier and proves once again that in spite of his moderate image he does not acknowledge Jewish history, which dates back thousands of years and connects us to the Land of Israel. Even preserving holy sites like the tombs of our forefathers is used by him as an excuse to incite and encourage violence."

Vice Premier Silvan Shalom used an ancient claim: "This is insolent and outrageous and another attempt to rewrite history. The Cave of the Patriarchs, like Rachel's Tomb, are Jewish heritage sites pointing to the deep 3,700-year affiliation of the people of Israel to their land. The people of Israel's affiliation to the land did not begin – as the Palestinians are trying to claim – in the past 100 years, but when the Cave of the Patriarchs was bought by Abraham from Ephron the Hittite for 400 silver shekels and Rachel's Tomb was purchased for a full price in the Binyamin region. They are both still mentioned in the Torah in the Book of Genesis, and no one can take that away from the people of Israel. The wild Palestinian attack is aimed at trying to cut off the affiliation and rewriting history. This is a continuation of their ideological objection to recognizing Israel as a Jewish state."

Science and Technology Minister Daniel Hershkowitz noted that "the Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel's Tomb are part of Israel's heritage and this is a historical fact. Abbas had better educate his own people rather than the people of Israel."

Information Minister Yuli Edelstein added, "It's disappointing every time to see the Palestinians reveal their understandings in regards to a future agreement between us and them. They want to leave us as second class citizens, like Islamic countries did in the Middle Ages. How is it possible that Abbas, who strives for peace, wants to stop us from reaching the Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel's Tomb?" Tweet