PM defends heritage list decision; opposition attacks

       PM Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday defended the decision to include the Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel's Tomb on the national heritage list. Speaking before the Knesset, he said, "These sites are part of our heritage. How is it possible to leave them out? So I thought they must be included. I have no intention of changing existing prayer arrangements." He went on to say that the government has already renovated the area used for Muslim prayer at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, and that now the same should be done for the Jewish side. "This decision creates a solid base for our national existence," he claimed. "We are not here by chance. We are here because we have a deep, basic connection to the land, which has continued for almost 4,000 years. We must enable the younger generation to connect with our heritage in innovative ways. We have created a plan and granted it a budget, and this is something that should cross party lines." (23,47)