Joseph's tomb set on fire in the West Bank as Israeli-Palestinian tensions escalate

Joseph's Tomb, a monument on the outskirts of the West Bank believed by some to be the grave of the Hebrew Bible's patriarch, Joseph, was set on fire overnight by a group of Palestinians calling for a "day of rage." Though the tomb isn't believed to have suffered major damage, the attack comes as tensions between Israel and Palestine reach new highs. Forty people have been killed in conflicts in the past two weeks, with the Israeli Defense Force accusing Palestinians of knife attacks and Israeli security forces turning their guns on Palestinian protesters.
Palestinian officials were able to put out the fire at the tomb. Israeli security officials have promised to catch those behind the "blatant violation and contradiction of the basic value of the freedom to worship," according to IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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