Terror-linked graffiti was sprayed on the grave of Elazar the Priest in Awarta, Samaria, sparking outrage from Jewish leaders, who call the desecration of this ancient holy site a direct attack on faith and heritage.
The ancient grave of Elazar the Priest, son of Aaron the High Priest, was desecrated once again—this time sprayed with Arabic graffiti bearing the name of the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
The vandalism occurred at the entrance to the village of Awarta in Samaria, where the holy site is vulnerable to repeated attacks. Arabic inscriptions, including threats and militant slogans, were found scrawled across the sacred tomb.
This is not the first desecration. In 2011, worshippers discovered the site vandalized with graffiti and even drawings of rocket launchers.
Rabbi Yitzhak Dovid Grossman, head of the Holy Sites Committee of the Chief Rabbinical Council, condemned the act as a “pogrom” against Jewish heritage. He stressed:
“Elazar the Priest, the chief of the Levites and successor of Aaron the High Priest, was known as a lover of peace who pursued peace. His grave is sanctified by Jews and revered across nations as a spiritual site of prayer and merit. To desecrate it is to trample on holiness and peace itself.”
Rabbi Grossman called on global religious leaders to ensure the protection of Elazar’s grave and to prevent further desecrations: “Let us walk in the ways of Elazar and Aaron—to love peace, to guard the holy, and to increase light in the world.”
