The Knesset Public Appeals Committee has asked the Defense
Minister to look into the possibility of allowing foot travel
to Kever Rochel on the 11th of Cheshvan, Rochel Imeinu's
yahrtzeit, and throughout the year on Shabbosos and
chagim.
The issue was raised by MK Uri Ariel (HaIchud HaLeumi), who
claimed arrangements should be made to enable visitors to
arrive both on foot and in non-armored vehicles, as at Mearas
Hamachpeloh in Chevron.
Committee Chairman MK Rabbi Yisroel Eichler also said that
because of the site's special importance and holiness, the
safety of anyone who wants to visit should be ensured and
unnecessary technical delays avoided.
HaRav Yitzchak Maoz, rov of Kever Rochel, said he
estimates 1,000 visitors come to the site on normal days and
many more on arvei chagim. Rabbi Yosef Schwinger,
director of the Center for the Development of Holy Sites,
said that on the 11th of Cheshvan 30,000 visitors typically
arrive within a period of less than 24 hours.
Brigadier General Doron Mor-Yosef, OC operations at Central
Command, said that following an assessment one month ago it
was decided to only allow visitors to come in bulletproof
vehicles, except in the case of special days and events. To
secure the access route for foot travelers would require
bringing in another brigade of soldiers, he explained.
Nachum Gabai, transportation and traffic coordinator for
Judea and Samaria, said traveling to Kever Rochel is
difficult due to a lack of bulletproof buses. Line 163, which
picks up passengers in Jerusalem's chareidi neighborhoods
before heading in the direction of Kever Rochel, often gets
stuck in long traffic jams, he said. Gabai said a proposal
has been made to transform Line 163 into a shuttle bus taking
passengers back and forth between the Egged parking lot in
Talpiot and Kever Rochel. To reach Talpiot from the chareidi
neighborhoods passengers would take Line 22, whose route
would have to be lengthened and altered.
Both regular site visitors and the Center for the Development
of Holy Sites voiced opposition to the proposal.
