Tens of thousands of Jews are expected to visit the Tomb of Rachel next week on the occasion of her “hilula” celebrations, but police warned Monday that the area was very sensitive, and that there were “serious threats” to visitors. Police officials were speaking at at a meeting of the Knesset Public Affairs Committee, responding to requests by MKs that visitors be allowed to approach the site on foot, instead of being required to take a short bus ride from Jerusalem. The ride is inconvenient visitors to waste much time waiting on line and crowding onto buses for an uncomfortable ride, the MKs said.
Police officials at the meeting said that approaching the site on foot would be like entering Area A, under total PA control – in other words, a bad idea. In just the past ten months, the officials said, there were 14 incidents of rocks and firebombs being thrown at visitors to the site. “There are warnings of violence and terror incidents all the time – and they are all real and immediate,” the officials said.