Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Transportation Minister Miri Regev announced on Tuesday a 12 million shekel ($3.2 million) budget allocation for improvements at the Rachel’s Tomb complex near Bethlehem. The aim of the improvements is to make the site more accessible, particularly for people with disabilities.

The announcement was made on the anniversary of the death of the biblical Jewish matriarch, the 11th of the Hebrew month of Cheshvan (from the evening of Nov. 11 to the evening to Nov. 12).

The comprehensive renovation plan includes expanding the access road, adding a new bus station, implementing safety solutions for pedestrians and vehicles and increasing parking spaces. These enhancements are designed to ease traffic congestion, improve the overall visitor experience and bolster safety in the area.

“It is both a privilege and duty to invest in access roads and develop our holy sites, and we will continue to do so,” said Smotrich.

Regev echoed this sentiment, highlighting the site’s significance: “Rachel’s Tomb is one of the most sacred and significant sites for the Jewish people, and hundreds of thousands of visitors come to it each year,” she said.

The initiative is part of a recent trend of improving accessibility at important religious sites in Israel. In June of this year, an elevator was inaugurated at Hebron’s Tomb of the Patriarchs, eliminating the need for visitors to climb nearly 90 steps to access the site. The $1.6 million project included a sloped path, an elevator and an enclosed footbridge, making the holy site accessible to those with mobility challenges.

Similarly, a long-awaited project is underway at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, which will eliminate the need for a 142-step descent or a long detour around the Old City walls. This project, which follows seven years of archaeological excavations, will significantly improve access for all visitors to Judaism’s holiest site, the most visited site in Israel.

Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90