While on Yom Kippur the Ma’aras HaMachpelah is usually closed to Muslim worshipers, this will not be the case this year as the day coincides with the Islamic holiday of Id el-Adha, which last for three days. As such, the Machpelah will be divided on Yom Kippur and undoubtedly, security will be extremely high.

As per the security arrangements that were set into place following the 1994 shooting of Muslims by Dr. Baruch Goldstein, there are 10 days annually during which the Machpelah is exclusively Jewish, including Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, part of Chol Hamoed Sukkos and Pesach, one of the Aseres Yimei Teshuva, Shabbos Chayei Sara, and Yom Kippur Koton of Elul. During these days, the Machpelah is closed to Muslims. There are also 10 days during which the Machpelah is open exclusively to Muslim worshipers.

During regular days, Ulam Yitzchak is used exclusively by Muslims, off limits to Jews.

Hebron community spokesman Noam Arnon explains large tents will be set up outside to accommodate mispallalim, reporting 6,000 mispallalim came last Yom Kippur and the number seems to increase with each passing year.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)