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State comptroller: Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai tomb in 'very sad' state By Eli Ashkenazi State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss called the situation he found yesterday on a fact-finding visit to the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai in Meron "very sad." A month ago, Lindenstrauss published a harsh report on the administration of the site, and Advertisement Lindenstrauss told Haaretz yesterday that a parliamentary investigative committee would begin studying the matter in the coming days. The tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai is the second most visited Jewish holy site in the country, after the Western Wall. According to the report, disagreement among the many bodies involved at the site has caused "paralysis." The head of the Meron Galil Regional Council, Shlomo Levy, called on Lindenstrauss yesterday to "nationalize" the tomb, because it has "too many owners." The state body responsible for holy sites recently took control of the tomb complex, much to the displeasure of the bodies actually running it. The state official in charge, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovich, has reportedly been threatened. Lindenstrauss noted the numerous unlicensed souvenir stands at the site and the lack of a proper sewer system. "The place doesn't look the way it should," Shaul Tzemach, director general of the Tourism Ministry said. "There is not even a semblance of control. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Crisis in question The Arab League slams Livni's remark 'there's no humanitarian crisis in Gaza' Acts of Terror In their waning days in power, Bush and Rice work to try organize a truce.

Read & React Bush: Hamas attacks on Israel are an 'act of terror' Responses: 71 Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff: Now IDF is getting personal with Hamas Responses: 76 Yossi Sarid: If you (or I) were Palestinian Responses: 128 Anshel Pfeffer: Right and Left, Diaspora Jews more critical of Israel than ever Responses: 80 Bradley Burston: To win in Gaza, Israel only has to survive Responses: 50 More Headlines 01:36 Israel launches a ground operation in the Gaza Strip 01:36 WATCH: Israeli troops launch ground incursion in Gaza Strip 22:23 Barak: Gaza invasion won't be short, and it won't be easy 22:39 Hamas: Gaza will become graveyard for Israeli troops 00:03 Israel okays call-up of tens of thousands of IDF reservists 00:27 Hezbollah urges Hamas to 'kill as many Israeli soldiers as they can' during Gaza op 22:41 EU presidency: Israel ground op in Gaza 'defensive not offensive' 00:53 Tens of thousands rally across Europe against Israel's Gaza offensive 00:56 Thousands rally in Tel Aviv for and against Israel's Gaza op 01:17 UN Security Council to hold emergency session on Israel's Gaza operation 20:14 Netivot home collapses as Hamas intensifies rocket fire from Gaza 13:32 ANALYSIS / Are air strikes enough, or is a ground op needed in Gaza? 17:47 Arab League slams Livni remark 'there's no humanitarian crisis in Gaza' 14:04 Bush calls Hamas attacks 'acts of terror', says working on truce 10:41 ANALYSIS / Israel must prepare to turn its military might from Gaza to Iran 09:42 UN chief wants international monitors for Gaza cease-fire 18:59 Gaza 2009 - To win, all Israel has to do is survive 18:45 Top Iran official holds talks with Syria on Gaza violence Previous Editions Select Day 02 jan 01 jan 31 dec 30 dec 29 dec 28 dec 26 dec 25 dec 24 dec 23 dec 22 dec 21 dec

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