Settlers detained after entering Palestinian Hebron

Baruch Marzel, who was among those stopped by security forces, tell 'Post' the settlers had applied for a permit to worship at the tomb, but the IDF denied their application.

By TOVAH LAZAROFF, YAAKOV LAPPIN
Tomb of Otniel Ben Kenaz 311 (photo credit: Courtesy)
Tomb of Otniel Ben Kenaz 311
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Israeli security forces detained four settlers on Thursday evening, after a larger group of 20 Jewish worshippers entered the Palestinian area of Hebron without a permit to pray at the tomb of Otniel Ben Kenaz.
The IDF and the Border Police rounded up all 20 of the settlers and forced them to return to the Israeli section of Hebron.
Hebron activist Baruch Marzel, who was among those stopped by security forces, told The Jerusalem Post that the settlers had applied for a permit to worship at the tomb, but the IDF denied their application.
He added that settlers have received these permits for many years so that they could pray at Otniel’s tomb at the end of the fast of Tisha Be’av.
Military sources told the Post that the permit was not granted automatically, but rather on a case-by-case basis, out of consideration for military concerns.
But Marzel said that the permit’s denial was arbitrary and ran counter to past agreements with the Palestinians, which guaranteed them freedom to worship.
He said that he was stopped by security forces on his way to the tomb, but that other worshippers had reached it.