A burial cave discovered last week in Haifa has been
destroyed by archaeologists. Two avreichim who
protested desecration of the cave on Shivat Tziyon Street
were detained by police but released shortly.
Efforts to prevent the desecration began at the beginning of
the week. Rabbi Chaim Williger and Rabbi Arye Blitental, UTJ
representatives in the Haifa Municipality, were in touch with
the Antiquities Authority, the Haifa Municipality and various
activists.
The cave was discovered during the laying of a new sewage
line in the Wadi Saklib neighborhood. The work was conducted
by the Yefe Nof municipal company, but upon discovery of the
burial cave, work was halted and archaeologists were summoned
to the site.
Rabbi Blitental tried to reach Haifa Mayor Amram Mitzna, who
was unavailable. In Mitzna's absence his assistant, Kobi
Bela, handled the issue. The Municipality was unable to halt
the excavations and, as a result, police officers intervened
to prevent disturbances.
After a number of days in which excavations were delayed,
archaeologists -- under police protection -- arrived on the
scene and began digging in the tunnel. They brought with them
a declaration to the effect that the bones found within were
those of sheep and goats. However, an opposing opinion
expressed by the Religious Affairs Ministry concludes that
the bones are those of humans: animals would surely not have
been buried in such luxurious caves. The opinion of the
Religious Affairs Ministry was rejected, however, and the
excavations continued.
Avreichim from Haifa's Neve Sha'anan community
protested desecration of the graves and tried to bodily
prevent the excavations. Police rushed in to detain two of
them for investigation. They were released a short while
later.
