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The archeological site which contains the palaces of the Maccabean High Priest Yohanan, with their ritual baths and the ancient Hasmonean synagogue, is nearly off limits to Israelis because, to reach it, they would have to travel approximately six-10ths of a mile through “Area A” of Judea and Samaria, which is controlled by the Palestinian Authority and is forbidden to Israelis. Foreign tourists, by contrast, have access.
In addition, one section of the ruins has essentially been lost to archeological exploration because it is under Palestinian Arab control.
Zionist Organization of America National President Morton A. Klein stated, “The Palestinian Authority pursues a policy of anti-Israeli, anti-Jewish apartheid and ethnic cleansing. In fact, PA President Mahmoud Abbas has openly said that, were there to be a Palestinian state, they ‘would not see the presence of a single Israeli.’ Further, the Palestinian Arabs do everything possible to destroy Jewish heritage sites wherever they can. But the truth is, you can’t dig a hole in Judea and Samaria without turning up archeological evidence that these lands were the heart of the ancient Jewish kingdoms and are, therefore, integral to the Jewish homeland today.”
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