On July 29, activist, writer and speaker Rahiel Tesfamariam tweeted about her visit to “Rachel’s Tomb” in Bethlehem.
I made it to Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem! #VivaPalestina #FreePalestine #EndTheOccupation pic.twitter.com/6IBbKbHVQf
— Rahiel Tesfamariam (@RahielT) July 29, 2016
Interestingly, she used the ancient Jewish name for the site, which has long been considered the third holiest site in Judaism. In using this name what she seems to be forgetting is that the Palestinian Arabs, in their ongoing campaign to erase Jewish history from the land, have renamed the site the Bilal ibn Rabah Mosque in honor of the Ethiopian-Arab slave who was reportedly the first muezzin for Muhammed. In using this name, what she seems to be ignoring is how the Palestinian Arabs make it almost impossible for Jewish people to visit the site, and how the current conception of a Palestinian state means that Jewish people would never be able to set foot there again.
How hypocritical is it when a civil rights advocate and scholar of the Old and New Testaments turns a blind eye to the racist campaign against the Jews?
Very.
