NEW YORK – Terrorists from Yasir Arafat’s Fatah shot and wounded seven Jewish worshippers at the Tomb of Joseph, and the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) is urging the Bush administration to speak out against Arab attacks on this important Jewish holy site.

The Fatah terrorists opened fire on a group of unarmed Hasidic worshippers who were leaving the Tomb of Joseph after early morning prayers on December 12,2003. Seven were wounded, including two who are in extremely serious condition.

In October 2000, a Palestinian Arab mob assisted by PA policemen attacked and severely damaged the Tomb of Joseph, and stomped and burned Torah scrolls and prayer books at the site. The PA then rebuilt the structure as a mosque, and refused to permit Jews to worship there.

The ZOA is urging the Bush administration to speak out against the PA’s outrageous desecration of a Jewish holy site. The ZOA notes that the Bush administration has never demanded that the PA change its policy of denying Jews access to the site.

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein commented: “Would the administration have remained silent if Israel desecrated a Muslim site, turned it into a synagogue, and prevented Muslim worshippers from having access to it?” The ZOA president said that in view of the latest attack on a Jewish holy site, the Bush administration should reconsider its support for the Road Map, which would put major Jewish holy sites under the control of the Palestinian Authority, leaving it up to Yasir Arafat to allow or prevent Jewish access to those sites.