Israel Accelerates Plans To Renovate Machpela Cave And Enable Wheelchair Access

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Woman carried up stairs at Machpela Cave. At present the site has no wheelchair access (Shay Glick/Private Album)

HEVRON (VINnews) — The Israeli Defense Ministry and the Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria are moving forward with plans to renovate part of the Machpela Cave in Hevron, including making the  site wheelchairs-accessible. The plans are being promoted despite objections by the Waqf, or Islamic trust, which co-manages the site along with the Israeli chief rabbinate.

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The Hevron municipality, which is controlled by the PA, is officially responsible for the site but has consistently blocked attempts to renovate it over the years, despite repeated requests by the local Jewish community. At present the Defense Ministry is expected to expropriate the land around the complex from the Arab municipality of Hevron and the Waqf.

The Tourism Ministry is providing half a million shekels ($144,000) for the project, though the final cost has yet to be determined.

The renovations will include the addition of an elevator and a bridge connecting the elevator to the tomb entrance. The Ministry for Social Equality will also cover some of the expenses for installing the proposed elevator.

In order to implement the plans, the Defense Ministry is expected to expropriate the land around the complex from the Arab municipality of Hevron and the Waqf due to their refusal to allow the renovations.

In July, the Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) sent a letter to the Hevron municipality demanding that it permit the renovation work, adding that if the municipality refuses, the Defense Ministry will expropriate the land and carry out the renovations unilaterally.


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Shir Hamalot
4 years ago

Sing to Hashem for this astiunding event. Praised be His Name forever and ever.

PaulinSaudi
PaulinSaudi
4 years ago

My goodness, I just checked. It has been twenty-five years since the massacre at this site. Time flies.