Palestinians Set Fire to Joseph's Tomb Ahead of 'Day of Rage'

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Source: NBC News

JERUSALEM — Hundreds of Palestinians entered the Joseph's Tomb compound in the West Bank town of Nablus late Thursday and set it on fire, severely damaging the Jewish holy site in what Israel called a "despicable" act.

The overnight violence came amid calls for another "day of rage" in the region and looked set to further escalate tensions in which at least 40 people have been killed over the past two weeks.

On Friday, an Israeli soldier was stabbed and lightly wounded at a Jewish settlement near the West Bank city of Hebron, according to the Israel Defense Forces. The attacker had disguised himself as a news photographer and was shot dead, the IDF added.

Security officials pledged to hunt down those behind the attack on the tomb, which is said to contain the remains of the biblical patriarch, Joseph.

Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/palestinians-set-fire-josephs-tomb-ahead-day-rage-n445661

[geek tragedy]

1. I guess the perps got jealous of the attention ISIS is getting nt

[starroute]

2. The building isn't very old and the tomb is unlikely to be Joseph's

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph's_Tomb

The present structure, a small rectangular room with a cenotaph, dates from 1868, and is devoid of any trace of ancient building materials.[8][9] While some scholars, such as Kenneth Kitchen and James K. Hoffmeier still affirm the essential historicity of the biblical account of Joseph, many others, such as Donald B. Redford, argue that the story itself has ‘no basis in fact’.

Modern scholarship has yet to determine whether or not the present cenotaph is to be identified with the ancient biblical gravesite. No Jewish or Christian sources prior to the 5th century mention the tomb, and the structure originally erected over it appears to have been built by the Samaritans, for whom it was probably a sacred site.

At key points in its long history, Joseph's Tomb has witnessed intense sectarian conflict. Samaritans and Christians disputing access and title to the site in the early Byzantine period often engaged in violent clashes. After Israel captured the West Bank in 1967, Muslims were prohibited from worship at the shrine and it was gradually turned into a Jewish prayer room. Interreligious friction and conflict from competing Jewish and Muslim claims over the tomb became frequent. Falling under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) following the signing of the Oslo Accords, it remained under IDF guard with Muslims prohibited from praying there.[16] At the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000, just after being handed over to the PNA, it was looted and razed by a Palestinian mob. Following the reoccupation of Nablus during Israel's Operation Defensive Shield in 2002, Jewish groups returned there intermittently. Between 2009 and 2010 the structure was refurbished, with a new cupola installed, and visits by Jewish worshippers have resumed.

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3. regardless of the age of the structure it still shouldnt be attacked and burned

Its considered a holy place. Thats for them to decide.
And not the first time its been attacked either, according to your article.

[leftyladyfrommo]

13. Exactly.

It's an important site and considered holy.

People should respect that. I'm not Mormon but I would never desecrate their temple.

I just keep saying that there is not going to be a Middle East. It is all just going to be a pile of rubble if all these groups don't stop destroying everything. No one is going to win. There's not going to be anything left for anybody.

[7962]

16. And that is the truth as simply as it can be

It sounds terrible, but the nonsense that goes on over there isnt stopping any time soon. What the Muslims do is as stupid as if it were here and Methodists were murdering Baptists.
The only "peace" is when either a dictator is in charge or the population decides to live in the modern world

[oberliner]

4. So burning it down is cool?

Not sure why those Wikipedia paragraphs are relevant to this arson attack.

[Comrade Grumpy]

5. Not as bad as destroying homes and stealing land. n/t

[oberliner]

6. Or blowing up 30 people while they are praying

Lots of awful behavior going on all over the world.

[LanternWaste]

14. I imagine it's quite difficult for an irrational mind to focus on an objective rather than relative

I imagine it's quite difficult for an irrational mind to focus on an objective rather than relative response.

[starroute]

8. Because it's not comparable to ISIS blowing up 2000 year old ruins

And also because taking it at face value as a "holy site" is more propagandistic than it is accurate.

[Purveyor]

7. The chickens are indeed, coming home to 'roost'... Not surprised nor unexpected... eom

[oberliner]

10. Palestinians have been vandalizing and desecrating Joseph's tomb for decades

Along with stabbing Jews who tried to pray there.

[Comrade Grumpy]

11. It's rough being an occupier. n/t

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12. Rougher being a terrorist. Rougher to stay alive anyway. nt

[Igel]

15. It was better under Jordanian rule.

Then the occupier got fewer problems.

Of course, Jews were banned to Jewish sites of any kind and there was a mass destruction of synagogues and such. It helped that there was ethnic cleansing so Muslims just didn't have to share sites, they were spared even seeing Jews. Even in areas that had pretty much a continuing Jewish presence since 100 AD.

So much better.

[dembotoz]

9. nutty yahoo pours gas on the fire and gets upset when it goes boom