West Bank Sites Added to Heritage List

In the latest installment of the Mideast controversy, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added two sites, the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron and Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem, to the national heritage list on Sunday. The government will renovate and restore the sites in a move that will likely upset Palestinians, who reject the Israeli presence in the West Bank, reports Haaretz. The decision by Netanyahu was praised by the Yesha regional council, who said "the plan strengthens the connection with land of our forefathers." Netanyahu said, "Our existence depends not only on the IDF or our economic resilience—it is anchored in... the national sentiment that we will bestow upon the coming generations and in our ability to justify our connection to the land."