Ahead of Shabbat Chayei Sara (the Shabbat when the Torah portion about Sara's death and burial is read), MK Tzvi Succot visited the Cave of the Patriarchs to oversee the preparations for the annual pilgrimage.
During the visit, Succot entered Isaac Hall, which houses the burial monuments for Isaac and Rebecca, which is controlled by the Muslims and is closed to Jews on most days.
"We are here in Isaac Hall, which for most of the year is in Muslim hands. This situation is unacceptable. Thirty years ago, the State of Israel decided to punish the Jews and hand most of the area of the Cave of the Patriarchs over to the Muslims. The Cave of the Patriarchs is our property. In the Chayei Sara Torah portion, Abraham our father bought the cave for 400 silver shekels. It can't be that in the Jewish state, this punishment lasts three decades," Succot said, referring to the decision to divide the holy site in half after Jewish doctor Baruch Goldstein murdered 29 Muslim worshipers.
The MK added: "The time has come to fix the historic injustice. The entire Cave of the Patriarchs is a symbol of our sovereignty; it must be accessible to Jews at all times. Baruch Goldstein's punishment can't last forever."