IDF briefly shuts Hebron’s Tomb of the Patriarchs after West Bank car bombs
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Israeli authorities briefly closed off the Tomb of the Patriarchs, known to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque, in the West Bank city of Hebron, following last night’s car bombing attacks.
The two terrorists had set out from the Hebron area.
“After the attack, security screenings at the Cave of the Patriarchs for the entry of Palestinian and Israeli worshipers were made more strict, and the area was closed for a short period due to security reasons,” the IDF says.
The IDF says that following an assessment, the holy site was reopened to all worshipers, “under strict screenings.”
The shrine is one of the holiest sites in Judaism, revered as holding the graves of biblical patriarchs Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, and Leah. It is also revered by Muslims and parts of the compound are used as a mosque.
Arab-Israeli tensions run high in Hebron, and in 1994 the cave became the site of the most infamous Jewish terror attack on Muslims when Baruch Goldstein opened fire on mosque-goers, killing 29 and injuring 25.
Jurisdiction over the city remains with the Palestinian Authority and the population is predominantly Muslim. There is, however, a small Jewish population in scattered settlement enclaves under Israeli military protection.
