by Maayana Miskin. The Arab Spring is turning into an Arab Winter for Israeli and Diaspora Jews.
For the first time in recent history, Egypt has decided to completely bar Jews from visiting the tomb of Rabbi Yaakov Abuhatzeira, head of the dynasty that included Rabbi Yisrael Abuhatzeira, the famed “Baba Sali.”
The decision, issued by regional ruler Mukhtar el-Hamlawi, was reported by the Palestinian Authority news agency Wafa.
El-Hamlawi reported that a Cairo court had ruled that celebrations are forbidden at the tomb, and Jewish visitors would be barred for that reason.
In addition, he said, “We prohibit Jews from visiting the tomb because we identify with the Palestinian people, and because we do not want to offend the Egyptian public’s sensitivities.”
Egyptian opposition parties, led by the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, attempted to prevent Israeli Jews from visiting the rabbi’s tomb in 2009.
While then-President Hosni Mubarak agreed to allow the visits, the pilgrimage was cancelled for the first time as opposition parties vowed to prevent Jews from visiting.
Mubarak continued to allow Israelis to visit, and even announced in 2010 that he would grant an unlimited number of permits.
Since Mubarak’s ouster in early 2011, Salafi Islam has been on the rise, while the Jew-hating Muslim Brotherhood has been gaining political power.
The changes have led to security anarchy in Sinai, an extremely high terror alert for Israeli visitors, and persecution of religious minorities in Egypt, primarily Coptic Christians.
PA Plan: Use UN to Cement Claims to Jewish Holy Sites
by Maayana Miskin 
The Palestinian Authority plans to use membership in the United Nations’ UNESCO cultural committee to lay claims to Jewish holy sites, PA ministers said Monday, speaking to Reuters.
PA Minister of Culture Hamdan Taha said the PA would seek World Heritage status for several sites, beginning with Bethlehem. The PA has already had some success in claiming Bethlehem sites for the Arab world – in 2010, UNESCO agreed to declare the Tomb of Rachel a mosque and “an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territories.”
UNESCO also agreed to criticize Israel for declaring the Tomb of the Patriarchs (Me’arat Hamachpelah), in which most of the Jewish patriarchs and matriarchs are buried, an Israeli heritage site. The organization responded to Israeli protests by erasing them from the record; Israel responded by cutting ties with UNESCO.
The PA will seek UNESCO recognition for its claims in Hevron as well, Taha said. It will also seek recognition for Shechem, the Shomron (Samaria) city that is home to Joseph’s Tomb.
“We think that every old city has the right to prepare a nomination file” for heritage site status, Taha said.
Another site the PA hopes to earn heritage status for is the Dead Sea, he stated.
The PA bid to seek full UNESCO membership has led to conflict as the U.S. warns that by accepting the PA, UNESCO will be putting its U.S. funding at risk. U.S. Secretary of State termed UNESCO’s decision to vote on PA membership “inexplicable,” and said the group should leave voting to the United Nations.
