Israel recently decided to add the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Sarah, Rivkah and Leah are buried; and Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem as National Heritage Sites similar to sites such as Massada. The US State department is reeling (yawn).
The US may be fine with the existance of the nation of Israel as a secular state (that may be true only if you are wearing rosy-colored glasses) but they have a cow when Israel takes any action that reminds the nations of the world of the Biblical roots of the people and land of Israel.
According to a Ynet report:
State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the administration viewed the move as provocative and unhelpful to the goal of getting the two sides back to the table.
So it is a provocation for Israel to remind the Arabs that surround them and live in their midst that Israel's ties to the land are nearly 4,000 years old, that is, the truth hurts.
The Arabs are certainly upset: they have been rioting in Judea since Israel announced the decision to include the sites on the National Heritage list.
Project Shofar's Gary Cooperberg discusses the topic in his most recent commentary.
Carl in Jerusalem (Israel Matzav) has some thoughts at his blog as well...
