Politics can be cruel

As the Israeli government is getting set to publish the tender for the work to convert the Me'arat Hamachpela to be accessible (ie ramps for the disabled, etc), politics is trying to get in the way.

The City of Hebron, represented by Advocate Samar Shahada, is appealing the decision to the Supreme Court. At best, even if the Supreme Court decides to let the State of Israel make the site accessible, will surely cause significant delays.

The opposition to the plan to making the site accessible is purely politics of who controls the site. The sad part is that many people, Jews and Arabs alike, who would benefit from it being converted to being accessible, will now have to wait even longer, and possibly the plan might get nixed totally.

The politics and incessant fighting over control doesn't care about the innocent victims whose lives would be made immeasurably better. I cannot even imagine what the basis for opposition would be other than claiming ownership rights. If I were them, I would come to an agreement to let Israel pay for the conversion and run the job, while at the same time including a clause to the effect that the performance of the work in no way indicates ownership or authority over the site.

Let the disabled have their access. It has been too long already. This should have been done decades ago.

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