(TheIndependentStar.com) – In a new Islamist attack on Christians and Jews, a mob of Palestinian Arabs has vandalized Joshua’s Altar from the Book of Joshua in the Old Testament of the Bible, a holy site located in the Palestinian territory of the West Bank.
The revered Joshua’s Altar at Mount Ebal in the West Bank was recently defaced by a group of Palestinian rioters, according to The Jerusalem Post, as cited by The New York Post.
The Post reports that the altar suffered damage when rioters burned tires on its remains and defaced the stones with Palestinian flags and Arabic graffiti last week.
This incident is part of a broader issue involving attacks on Israeli archaeological sites in areas under Palestinian control.
According to TPS, the site of Joshua’s Altar is jointly managed with the Palestinian Authority and has been subjected to vandalism several times.
Rev. Petra Heldt, a Christian scholar residing in Israel for four decades, voiced her concerns to Fox News about the recurring attacks on sacred Jewish and Christian sites.
“Unfortunately, Jewish and Christian holy places are repeatedly targeted by Muslim settlers, such as the Tomb of Rachel near Bethlehem, the Tombs of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Sarah, Lea, and Rebecca in Hebron, the Tomb of Josef in Shechem (Nablus) and many others,” Heldt stated.
“It is a consistent pattern that shows that there is a wish to eliminate the existence of Jewish and Christian history in Eretz Israel, the historic land of the Jewish people. Therefore, this holy place must be secured, like other holy places in Israel, from Palestinian vandalism,” she added.
In response to the vandalism, Israeli activists from the Forum for the Struggle for Every Dunam visited the site and demanded increased protection for sacred Israeli locations.
“The grave incident that took place this week is a direct result of the lack of Jewish presence on this hill,” the organization asserted in a statement quoted by TPS.
They advocated for a permanent Jewish settlement in the area, believing it would ensure control and safeguard the site from further harm.
Echoing these sentiments, Heldt highlighted the historical and religious significance of the altar and called for immediate action to prevent further desecration.
“The altar goes back to the time of Joshua (1400 BC), who led the Jewish people from exile into the Promised Land,” she emphasized.
