1,500 Daven at Kever Yosef

Some 1,500 people came to daven at Kever Yosef Wednesday night in honor of Chol Hamo’ed Sukkos. IDF troops quashed riots by Arabs who sought to attack mispallelim. Soldiers used anti-riot measures to fend off the terrorists. Arab sources reported that several of the rioters were injured. There were no security incidents involving visitors to the kever itself.

Arabs have vandalized and set fire to Kever Yosef numerous times since the signing of the Oslo Accords, most notably in 2000, 2003, 2008, and 2014. Between 2003 and 2009, the site remained desolate, until Israel and the PA reached an accord on refurbishing the site in 2010. Currently, Jews are allowed to visit Kever Yosef total of 15 times a year – usually on Erev Rosh Chodesh or during chagim – to daven.

IDF soldiers overnight Wednesday arrested two more Arabs who were involved in an attack on an IDF vehicle that accidentally entered the Kalandiya neighborhood of Yerushalayim. The two were part of a large gang of Arabs who threw stones and other objects at the vehicle. Several soldiers were lightly injured in the incident. So far, six Arabs have been arrested in the incident.

Overnight Wednesday, security officials said they arrested 11 wanted security suspects in other areas in Yehudah and Shomron. The suspects were wanted for participating in rioting and throwing stones and firebombs that endangered Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers. Several of the suspects were also charged with belonging to Hamas. All were being questioned on their activities by security forces.