Eidah Threatens Mekorot Over Suspected Graves Near Highway 38

And while on the topic of Israeli highways, Highway 38 - from Shaar HaGuy junction (officially spelled Shaar HaGay for unknown reasons) until Bet Shemesh has become famous for the traffic jams that one can get stuck in at almost any time of the day. Leaving Bet Shemesh, coming into Bet Shemesh, morning, evening - you name it, the highway is just not designed to bear the size of the city with the natural traffic resulting.

Traffic is about to get worse.

In the area of the Eshtaol junction there is road work going on to improve the road at that point and laying new water lines. According to reports on Kikar and Bechadrei the Eida says there are known graves in the area dating back to the time of the Temple Era. They do not want Mekorot to do any digging, as such digging would result in the disturbing those ancient graves.

The Eida has sent a letter warning Mekorot saying "As Mekorot is installing a new water pipe, near Moshav Eshtaol in a place where there are burial caves dating from the time of the Temple, and there is reason to suspect this will cause harm to the graves, and currently they are working without any supervision, therefore the Badat"z is issuing a warning to not perform any work without supervision by someone appointed by the Badatz. The public is called upon to be ready at a moments notice if called upon to protect the integrity and the honor of the yesheinei afar (sleepers of the dust) wherever they might be".

According to Bechadrei the announcement of the letter by the Badatz is suspect as the work in the area of the graves has already been completed and Mekorot is now working in a different, albeit nearby, area. Mekorot also says they dont understand what the Badatz's problem is as they have no intention to disturb graves and they have not ordered any such work of digging in that area where the graves are located.

Perhaps the Badatz is looking to get back some of the respect they have recently lost in the haredi street with all the violence and fighting. Protecting graves was almost always an issue in which the haredi public has stood behind the Badatz, and perhaps they are trying to make an issue, even where one might not exist, in order to get back some of that support. Of course there is also the issue of the power struggle and money, as both Bechadrei and Kikar describe the internal fighting between the different organizations that want to control the situation, but I suspect the main issue is retaking some of the lost support by renewing a generally popular issue.