Israel is to build a controversial new road connecting Jerusalem to Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem to guarantee Israelis 'unrestricted access' to the holy site which is important to Muslims and Jews alike.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was quoted as saying unrestricted access to the tomb is "essential for the Jewish people," who traditionally revere it.
Rachel, the wife of Jacob in the Bible, is an important figure for the Jews. Her tomb is located north of the West Bank town of Bethlehem in an area south of Jerusalem.
The site however, is also a holy site for Muslims.
The site has been a flashpoint for violent confrontations between Palestinian militants and Israeli troops. Since the outbreak of the Intifada two years, Israel has increased security around the site to protect the many Jews that come on pilgrimage.
"This Israeli project is a dangerous escalation, because Rachel's Tomb is in an industrial zone that includes a hospital and 3,800 inhabitants, who risk being isolated from the town by this road," Bethlehem Mayor Hanna Nasser said.
"More than 95 percent of the lands that will be expropriated for the construction of this road belong to Christians .... In this way, Israel is pushing Christians into exile," added Nasser, who is himself Christian.
Bethlehem numbers some 20,000 inhabitants, of whom 20 percent are Christian.
AFP