Joseph’s Tomb, a holy site where Jews go to pray, has been badly damaged after being set on fire by Palestinian rioters. The torching, which has since been condemned as unacceptable and “offensive to our culture, religion and values” by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, came after Israel banned men under the age of 40 from attending Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. The night-time torching in Nablus involved dozens of Palestinians throwing petrol bombs at the tomb before being dispersed by Palestinian police. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire before Israeli forces arrived. However, the damage had already been done. Overnight #Palestinians set ablaze Joseph’s Tomb, in a blatant violation of the basic value of freedom of worship. pic.twitter.com/qsOCRFg205 — Peter Lerner (@LTCPeterLerner) October 16, 2015 Israel’s military stated that the attack was a “despicable act” and a “blatant violation of the basic value of freedom of worship”. Joseph’s Tomb witnessed similar attacks in 2000 and was almost completely destroyed after Palestinians overran it during the second intifada (uprising). The tomb is open to Jewish pilgrims, under military protection, just once a month and at night. The United Nations Security…
