A large, impressive burial cave with 9 burial beds filled
with human bones has been discovered during recent
archaeological excavations in the Lachish area, near the
settlement of Shekef. The excavations are being conducted as
part of an effort to expand patrol routes along the green
line.
The Ma'atz company, which is carrying out the work in the
area, agreed to forego excavation of the cave, and has asked
the archaeologists to stop their desecration of the cave,
especially since it is outside the course of the road being
paved. Despite this, Director General of the Antiquities
Authority, Amir Drori, with inexplicable obduracy, insists on
excavation and destruction of the grave. He has even
announced that he will be present at the site in order to
personally guarantee that the graves are indeed
desecrated.
Members of the Federation for the Prevention of the
Desecration of Graves remained on the site during working
hours for two full days, in order to prevent desecration of
the burial cave. Kiryat Gat Police, headed by station
commander Police Superintendent Henry Ben-Shanan and Police
Superintendent Yosef Eluzein, are to be highly commended for
the positive manner in which they tried to solve the problem.
They patiently they managed to calm the atmosphere and to
halt the excavations.
Extensive efforts are being made by activists and public
figures headed by MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni and Rabbi Meir Porush,
to safeguard the cave. For this purpose, they are appealing
to the highest governmental levels.
In light of the obstinacy of the archaeologists and Amir
Drori's announcement, a group of communal leaders arrived on
the scene this past Friday, and bodily protected the caves. A
crew of cameramen, who are preparing a documentary for the
media about grave desecration, arrived on the scene, together
with a number of the activists. However, they were not
permitted to enter the cave area nor to take photographs.
Border Guard policemen stationed at the site prevented Rabbi
Micha Rothschild from entering the cave. Rabbi Rothschild is
one of the senior activists of the Federation for the
Prevention of the Desecration of Graves.
