Only a fraction of Israel's holy sites are fully accessible for people with disabilities, according to a study conducted by the Knesset Research and Information Center and the Btsalmo human rights organization.
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According to the report, of the 130 holy complexes, only 12 are fully accessible. An additional site is currently undergoing construction to make it more accessible. Ninety-three complexes are completely inaccessible.
There are over 1.5 million disabled Israelis who make up 17% of the population. Of those, 8% are severely handicapped.
Israeli law stipulates that a person with disabilities has the right to access public places, and therefore any area used by the public, even if it is privately owned, must accommodate the disabled. This includes open-air sites such as cemeteries and memorials.
The institution responsible for making holy sites accessible is the National Center For Development of the Holy Places. Its task is to "develop and upgrade complexes so that they adhere to tourism site standards," including water, electricity, security, and cleaning of the site.
Israel's fully accessible sites include the Western Wall and King David's Tomb in Jerusalem, Tomb of Maimonides in Tiberias, the ancient Jewish cemetery in Safed, the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, and the Cave of Elijah in Haifa.
The Knesset research center reached out to the National Center For Development of the Holy Places for comment. A representative said their goal was to make all holy sites accessible, however, as it was a process that required great resources, it would take a long time.
The Religious Services said in a statement that it saw "great value in making holy sites accessible and, therefore, worked to allocate a budget for the National Center for Development of the Holy Places entrusted with the task."
Head of Btsalmo Shai Glick said the matter "violated both the freedom of movement and freedom of religion." He stressed that accessibility was not a "luxury, but a right" and called on Religious Services Minister Matan Kahana to "take this matter personally and not rest until all 130 holy sites are accessible by all Israelis."
Nevertheless, it must be noted that certain sites can request to be exempt from turning fully accessible if the construction would cause damage to the sacred structure.
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