The rabbis in charge of David’s Tomb, led by Rabbis Yosef Berger and Aharon Yitzhak Stern, have appealed to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to immediately step in and stop the desecration of graves near the site of King David’s tomb on Mount Zion.

In their letter, the two claim that the archaeological digs that are currently being carried out on Mount Zion by the Antiquities Authority and the Greek Orthodox Church are likely to damage the area housing King David’s tomb and treasures from the Temple.

Rabbi Yosef Berger told Arutz Sheva that, in thepast, anyone who tried to enter the tombs of King David’s family was burned or died in his prime. “In the history books about King Herod, it is written that, at the time, he and his soldiers tried to enter the tombs of King David and a heavenly fire consumed them.”

He continued: “How is it that there is no protest? This is a scandal and a disgrace to dig among the tombs of the Davidic kings. There is a hidden hand here that is trying to hide it all – maybe someone is trying to win favors with the Christians.”

He expressed his astonishment with the haredi silence over the diggings on Mount Zion. “It is our duty at this time to protest the blasphemy and sacrilege that is shaking the land and those in it. We must stop this terrible disgrace. I have also appealed to all the haredi MKs, since here are buried all of the Davidic kings, particularly King David. It is a terrible danger. We tried to enter and see what they are doing but they didn’t allow us. They forced us out.”