Gallant’s Last Act in Office: Approved Roofing Cave of the Patriarchs’ Yard in Hebron

Photo Credit: Wisam Hashlamoun/Flash90

The yard outside the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, September 4, 2019.

On his last day in office, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant approved the roofing of the Yard of Ma’arat Hamachpelah (the Cave of the Patriarchs) in Hebron. The decision will make life easier for the thousands of Jews and Muslims who visit the holy site.

The head of the Kiryat Arba-Hebron Council, Israel Bramson, worked hard behind the scenes to advance the roofing project, investing a lot of effort and working directly with the Minister of Defense to get the process moving. Bramson pushed for a solution to the issue while emphasizing the need for roofing for the well-being of visitors and improving the experience at the site.

The last time the Civil Administration attempted to put a roof above the cave’s yard to shield worshipers against the burning sun, the Jordanian Royal TV Channel reported in June that all mosques in the city of Hebron were calling for Muslims to go to the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron to protest brutal and savage attacks by settlers on PA Arabs, businesses, and the holy Cave of the Patriarchs.

According to Roya, sources in the city of Hebron confirmed that this attack was the most violent since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip. “The Israeli occupation forces attempted, in a blatant violation of the sanctity of the Cave of the Patriarchs and in an attempt to Judaize it, to cover the courtyard of the holy Cave of the Patriarchs by force and destroy and distort the historical and religious characteristics of the cave and try to turn the courtyard into a synagogue and desecrate it.”

Much worse than the Gaza war… By the way, are you getting the impression that our Arab cousins are extremely excitable?

Central Command Commander Major General Avi Bluth reprimanded his officer who dared build a roof to protect visitors to the Cave of the Patriarchs from the hot sun. / IDF Spokesperson

But in August, it appeared that the IDF high command was siding with the Arabs. The commander of the Yehuda Brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Yishai Rosilio, received a command censure after he, on his own initiative, authorized Hebron Jews to carry out the roofing work at the Cave of the Patriarchs, and, contrary to orders, hid the act from his commanders in the Judea and Samaria Division and the Central Command.

Due to the sensitivity of the holy compound, which is sacred to Jews and Muslims, any infrastructure work there requires approval from the political echelon – but at no point did Col. Rosilio report his actions. Senior IDF officials said that this was “a very serious incident and a command failure that endangered the security of the state.”

It goes to show that you can get the army out of conceptzia thinking but you can’t get conceptzia thinking out of the army.

Bramson said: “We thank Minister Gallant for listening and understanding the vital need to promote the roofing of the Cave of the Patriarchs. This is a significant project for the future of Kiryat Arba-Hebron and the entire Jewish people, and we will continue to work to promote the heritage and connection to this holy place.”

The decision to roof the Cave of the Patriarchs is expected to bring welcome relief to thousands of visitors, especially during the hot summer and rainy winter days.

Ma’arat Hamachpelah is the burial site of the Jewish people’s matriarchs and patriarchs: Avraham, Sarah, Yitzchak, Rivka, Yaakov and Leah. There is also a tradition that Adam and Eve are buried there as well as the decapitated head of Eisav, Jacob’s brother.

King David established Hebron as his capital for seven-and-a-half years before moving it to Jerusalem.