Activists Seize Religious Sites on Jordan Border
Israel Defense Forces scrambled to the otherwise calm border with Jordan on Monday, after several right-wing activists took control of structures located near the border with Israel’s neighbor to the east.
The incident began when about 25-30 activists reportedly seized abandoned churches near the Qasr al-Yahud holy site, the believed site of Jesus’ baptism, in a deliberate provocation meant to signal to the Jordanian authorities to keep out of matters concerning the Temple Mount.
The activists, who were escorted to the site by a television crew, reportedly cut their way through a fence that used to protect a surround a minefield surrounding the area, before it was cleared by Israeli security forces.
Israeli and Jordanian security forces arrived at the scene, with IDF soldiers attempting to remove the infiltrators.
Images released by Channel 10 television showed the activists dancing near the structures, and hanging the image of Revisionist leader Ze’ev Jabotinsky, who advocated the creation of a Jewish state on both sides of the Jordan River.
For more, go to Haaretz.com
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