A group of some 250 Israelis visited the ancient Hasmonean-era site of Beit Tsur in the Hebron area and lit candles on the eighth night of Chanukah on Sunday.
Beit Tsur was an ancient town on the road between Hebron and Jerusalem where the last Hasmonean battle took place before they vanquished the Greeks, liberated the Temple and purified it.
During the celebration, Arabs from the nearby town of Halhul rioted and threw rocks and firebombs at IDF troops securing the event. The forces responded with crowd control means and dispersed the rioters.
No Israelis were injured and the incident.
In related news, a massive group of some 2,500 Israeli worshipers visited Joseph’s Tomb in Shechem (Nablus) and celebrated the last night of Chanukah.
Rabbi Elyakim Lebanon said that “Yosef the righteous was a dreamer and knew how to realize his dreams. One needs to know how to dream. Israel is a dreaming people and we will fulfill our dreams. ”
The entry was coordinated with the IDF and occurs several times a year. The prayers take place only during the night and under heavy security provided by the Israeli forces.