Israel to include WBank shrines in heritage plan

Israel said on Sunday it wanted to include two Jewish shrines in the occupied West Bank in a national plan to rehabilitate some 150 Jewish and Zionist heritage sites, drawing condemnation from the Palestinians.

Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem and the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, two holy sites inside Palestinian towns in the occupied West Bank, were not originally included in the $100 million (73 million euro) plan.

But after right-wing ministers protested their absence from a list of some 150 historical sites ear-marked for restoration, Netanyahu appeared to back down, saying "I hope these two sites will be included."

"It is our obligation to give this heritage to our children," he told reporters at a cabinet meeting held in the northern Israeli town of Tel Hai, the site of a famous 1920 battle between Jews and Arabs.

"Since I was asked, I would like to make my intentions clear, and this is what will be."

Since I was asked, I would like to make my intentions clear, and this is what will be

Israeli PM Netanyahu

Palestinian reaction

The Fatah party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said in a statement that the decision was an attempt by Netanyahu's government to "wreck international efforts aimed at returning to (peace) talks," which were suspended over a year ago.

Rachel's Tomb is guarded by Israeli soldiers and surrounded by a fence. Security is also tight at the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, where a Jewish settler shot and killed 29 Muslim worshippers in 1994 before being beaten to death at the scene.

Some 400 Jewish settlers live in heavily guarded enclaves in the city, which is also home to some 150,000 Palestinians.

"This particular violation is especially dangerous because it will add to the religious component of the conflict in a way that might bring dangerous consequences," said Ghassan Khatib, a spokesman for the Palestinian government in Ramallah.

Netanyahu, who last year ordered a limited 10-month freeze on settlement construction in the West Bank, says he is ready to resume peace talks immediately and without preconditions.

Abbas says peace talks cannot resume without a full settlement freeze that includes East Jerusalem.