Jerusalem – A mob of approximately 150 Palestinians set fire to the kever of Yosef Hatzadik in Shechem tonight.
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Palestinian security forces have managed to get the fire under control but serious damage has already been sustained at the women’s section of the holy site, where many Jews come to daven.
Initial reports indicate that the Palestinians lined the area with trees in order to fuel the fire, according to Israeli news site Walla.
Israeli security forces who arrived on scene verified that there were no Jews praying in the tomb and then cleared the area of all Palestinians. Security forces are remaining on scene in order to prevent any further attacks.
IDF forces remain in Shechem at this time.
This incident came following a day of relative calm in Israel after several weeks of increased violence attacks across the country.
The kever of Yosef Hatzadik has been targeted before. During the second intifada, Palestinians took over the site after Israeli forces left the area, setting the tomb on fire and painting the dome green to signify that it was now considered a Muslim holy site. Since that time, renovations have been made, although Palestinians have desecrated the site several more times.
Yemach Shemom, Yosef Hatzadik should be mispalil that all of Yishmael should finally get wiped off from the face of the world
Am hadomeh l’chamor. With apologies to chamorim.
This just proves to the world that these animals dont know how to treat a holy sight. And I can guarantee if israel stops them from going to the temple mount they would do or try to do the same there
Oy! עד מתי?
The Arabs are fueled by pure hatred and do not operate on a level of logic. If they did, I suppose, they would get out of such a disgusting environment.
Im thinking that Its not by mere coincidence that out of all Kvarim, Yoseph Hatzadik is targeted by Yishmaeilim, especially in Schem. There are many references in Chazal, Zohar and sforim to the importance of Schem and Yoseph with regards to the enemies of Hashem. There are works in English that also talk about these significances.
This sums them up – it has nothing to do with religion, because hey SHOULD revere Yosef Hatzadik themselves. They are thugs.
ואת-עצמות יוסף אשר-העלו בני-ישראל ממצרים קברו בשכם בחלקת השדה אשר קנה יעקב מאת בני-חמור אבי-שכם במאה קשיטה ויהיו לבני-יוסף לנחלה “And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money; and they became the inheritance of the children of Joseph” (Joshua 24:32).
The gematria katan of this pasuk is 372, the same as for כבשן kivshan, “furnace”.