Israel takes control of the Cave of the Patriarchs from Muslim waqf

The Hebron waqf had nixed all changes at the holy site, including wheelchair access and toilets.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

In what is being labeled an “unprecedented move,” Israel is taking administrative control over the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, Israel Hayom reported last week.

The Civil Administration has transferred control to the Kiryat Arba-Hebron Religious Council to enable major renovations that have been needed for years.

It had been under the management of the city’s Muslim Waqf (religious authority) even after Israel liberated Hebron in the 1967 Six-Day War, and its authority was codified in the 1995 Wye River Accords that completed the Oslo Accords and handed the Palestinian Authority control over most of the city.

During the ensuing decades, the Waqf resisted making any changes to the site, which it calls the Ibrahimi Mosque, after Abraham, the shared patriarch of Muslims and Jews.

According to Jewish and Muslim tradition, he is believed to be buried there along with nearly all the Jewish people’s foremothers and forefathers, as well as Adam and Eve.

This made the cave, over which King Herod of Judea built a mammoth building almost 2,000 years ago, the second-most holy site in Judaism.

The renovations will include the construction of a permanent roof over what is known as “Jacob’s Courtyard,” the only large open space where Jewish worshippers can pray.

Except for 10 specific days a year, Jews are barred from the extensive indoor area where Isaac and Rebecca are buried, which is used as a mosque.

A modern fire safety system is also in the works.

One important addition was made even prior to the official handover, when on July 6, toilet facilities were opened in the building for the first time.

This convenience was desperately needed, especially during Jewish holidays, when hundreds of thousands of visitors crowd the site.

The only other major change until this point had been the construction in 2023 of an exterior elevator and ramp that finally made the site wheelchair accessible after decades of legal and political wrangling.

Shai Glick, CEO of the human rights group Betzalmo, which had spent years in court fighting for the right of disabled people to visit the site easily, welcomed the transfer of authority.

“The Cave of the Patriarchs is registered in the Book of Genesis as belonging to the Jewish people,” he said. “This move finally restores dignity and sovereignty. After making the site accessible to the disabled, it’s time for it to be properly covered, air-conditioned and upgraded with restrooms and other facilities.”

The far-left Peace Now group condemned the move, saying that it created a “severe security risk” since “any unilateral change is perceived by millions of Muslims as a humiliation and an attack on a sacred place.”

The group reminded its supporters that “more than a century of conflict has shown that many of the most violent rounds of escalation erupted in response to perceived attacks on holy sites.”