An attempt to desecrate burial caves in Haifa was recently
prevented by representatives of the City Council's Religious
Bloc protesting "rescue" operations by the Antiquities
Authority. As of last week, work had been halted.
Nonetheless, it is still feared that clandestine excavations
might continue. MK Rabbi Gafni visited the site on 21 Teves
in order to study the situation and prevent any desecration
of graves.
Yefeh Nof, a company affiliated to the Haifa Municipality,
is working on the Cross-Yaffo project within the framework
of the Yaffo bypass highway at the entrance to Haifa. This
is in the area of the grave of Rav Avrimi of Haifa. In
ancient seforim, the area is Called, "the cemetery of
the slopes of Mount Carmel." Some of our Rishonim are buried
there, including the Rash of Shantz, the Ramban, and other
Baalei Tosafos.
Last week, while the groundwork was being prepared, three
burial graves were discovered under the rims of the highway.
Yefeh Nof halted work upon the advice of Haifa Mayor Amram
Mitzna, and summoned the Antiquities Authority to conduct
"rescue" excavations at the site of these graves. The graves
were covered in order to conceal them.
When local activists learned of this subterfuge, Rabbi Chaim
Williger, Rabbi Aryeh Blitental and Rabbi Avraham Weitzman,
City Council Religious Bloc representatives, arrived on the
scene. Together with Deputy Mayor Moshe Shtesman, they met
with Mitzna in order to prevent these "rescue" excavations
which always result in desecration of graves. Doron Balasha,
director of Yefeh Nof, was also present.
Representatives at first saw no signs of any burial caves.
However, when a member of the Chevra Kadisha was called in,
he located the caves immediately, even though they had been
covered and concealed by company workers.
At a meeting of the Haifa city council, Mitzna had promised
that if burial caves were discovered or similar problems
arose, he would take no measures without halachic
consultation. That answer had come in the wake of a question
presented by UTJ representative Rabbi Chaim Williger. The
religious representatives are now asking Mitzna to abide by
his promises and not sanction continuation of the
excavations until halachic authorities can be
consulted.
Rabbi Gafni arrived on the site, where chareidi
representatives described the situation to him. He contacted
the new Antiquities Authority director, Yehoshua Dorfman,
who said that he favors a solution amenable to both sides
that does not involve desecration of the graves.
The Haifa Municipality told Yated Ne'eman that Mitzna
recognizes and respects the importance of the
halachic as well as the sentimental aspects of the
burial sites. As a result, he has directed the parties
involved to be particularly cautious and to operate
according to law.
A meeting with the City Council religious representatives
took place on Teves 22. During the days preceding the
meeting, Federation for the Desecration of Graves activists
guarded the caves in around-the-clock shifts in order to
prevent desecration.
