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Why Israeli ultra-Orthodox secretly visit West Bank tomb

More ultra-Orthodox Israelis are refusing to coordinate their visits to the Tomb of Joshua, in the West Bank Palestinian village of Kifl Hares, in what the Israel Defense Forces considers an onerous security risk.
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men pray in the Tomb of Joshua Ben Nun in the West Bank Arab village of Kifl Hares near the Jewish settlement of Ariel December 17, 2010. The Israeli army late on Thursday night allowed hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews to visit the Tombs of biblical figures, Joshua Ben Nun and Caleb Ben Yefuneh, on what is considered by many religious Jews as the biblical date of the anniversary of their death. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (WEST BANK - Tags: RELIGION) - RTXVTBD
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Two cars made their way deep into the Palestinian village of Kifl Hares late on the night of Jan. 5. The 10 passengers wanted to visit the Tomb of Joshua, the traditional burial site of the Israelite leader who succeeded Moses. It was Joshua who began the conquest of Canaan and oversaw the Twelve Tribes’ settlement of the land. The pilgrims’ efforts to reach the tomb discreetly did not end well. They were besieged by local youths, who threw cement blocks at them. Luckily for them, IDF troops were able to extract them from the situation before they suffered any harm. The 10 men were handed over to the police, who arrested them on suspicion of engaging in behavior that could put public safety at risk and for interfering with a public official while performing his duty.

The group has since been released. A leader asking to be identified only by A.Y. told Al-Monitor his story:

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