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10,000 rally to save Biblical site endangered by PA

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The PA has repeatedly stated its intention to build a new neighborhood atop Mt. Ebal, paving over Joshua’s Altar and other Biblical and archaeological sites.

By World Israel News Staff

Settlements and National Missions Minister Orit Strook (Religious Zionism), local politicians, and some 10,000 Israelis marched to Joshua’s Altar in Judea and Samaria on Monday, attempting to raise awareness of the Palestinian Authority’s intention to destroy the Biblical site.

Joshua’s Altar, which is believed to be the site where the Israelites built an altar immediately upon entering the land of Israel after the Exodus, is located on Mt. Ebal, north of the PA-controlled city of Hebron.

The PA has repeatedly stated its intention to build a new Palestinian neighborhood atop the mountain, which would include paving over the remains of Joshua’s Altar and other archaeological sites.

“In the face of the barbaric destruction that the Palestinian Authority is trying to carry out here, all this to erase the connection of the people of Israel to their land and their roots, we stand here and we say – the people of Israel will win,” said Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, who participated in the march, in a media statement.

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“Living in Samaria is not only a privilege to enjoy this beautiful land, living in Samaria is also a responsibility to preserve the sacred places of our history, to preserve civilization.

“We respect every people, every human being, but the Land of Israel and the State of Israel will exercise our sovereignty here, and in this place on Mt. Ebal, at the altar of Joshua ben Nun, there will be a heritage site worthy of a central place in the history of the people of Israel,” he added.

Minister Strook said that the government “will not stand by” and that a Cabinet discussion regarding next steps to protect the site will be held in the near future.

The march comes on the heels of an attempt by the UN’S UNESCO organization to designate the Old City of Jericho, an area with thousands of years of rich Jewish history, as a “Palestinian heritage site.”