A gathering of Palestinian protestors recently caused significant damage to Joshua’s Altar in the West Bank of Israel, a sacred site cherished by millions of Christians and Jews. Situated on Mount Ebal, the altar suffered severe harm as demonstrators spray-painted Arabic writings and Palestinian flags on the stones, while burning tires added to the destruction.
Various reports have highlighted that the location, jointly administered with Palestinian authorities, has been a focal point for vandalism since the October 7 assaults carried out by the Palestinian group Hamas against Israel. The recent defacement of the site is indicative of a broader issue involving attacks on Jewish archaeological sites within Palestinian jurisdiction.
In a conversation with Fox News, Reverend Petra Heldt, a Christian scholar and Israeli resident, elucidated that Muslim settlers are deliberately focusing on sacred sites significant to Christians and Jews. She emphasized that this encompasses numerous tombs in the region, with particular emphasis on Shechem’s Tomb of Josef.
Heldt further conveyed to the conservative network that the Muslim settlers are demonstrating a persistent trend indicating their desire to erase the presence of Christian and Jewish history in Eretz, defined as the historical land of the Jews. The scholar stressed the necessity for authorities to play a more proactive role in safeguarding the sacred site against vandalism by Palestinians.
In the aftermath of the disturbances, members of the Struggle for Every Dunam’s Forum, Israeli activists, inspected the site and urged the Israeli government to safeguard all religious sites across the nation. The organization asserted in a statement that the unfortunate incident was a direct consequence of the absence of Jewish presence on the hill.
The organization emphasized that the sole assurance for maintaining control over the site is a consistent Jewish presence. It highlighted that an alternative approach to thwart the destruction and additional harm to the altar is to establish a farm or community controlled by Jewish groups.
