"And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath - the same is Bethlehem. And Jacob set up a pillar upon her grave; the same is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day."
Genesis 35:19-20.

The Tomb of Rachel is a symbol of life, roots and continuity for the Jewish people

The descendants of Jacob and Rachel have returned to the Promised Land of their forefathers. Even so, in these troubled times which have seen the torching of Josef's Tomb in Shechem and the burning of an ancient synagogue in Jericho, Jewish worshipers are having difficulties praying at their holiest sites.

As the Israeli government continues to hand over territory and towns to the Palestinian authorities, one little grave site outside of Bethlehem caused a political fury across Israel and almost toppled over the government. This was the Tomb of Rachel, one of the four Matriarchs.

Worshippers Prevented From Reaching Rachel's Tomb On the anniversary of the death of the matriarch Rachel,

a large contingent of worshippers was prevented by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for security reasons from traveling to her tomb which is located on the outskirts of Bethlehem. The area of Rachel's tomb, located in an area under Israeli control, had been the site of intense violence in previous days. Although the visit to the grave had originally been approved by the IDF, the permit was rescinded in order to prevent danger to life. In place of the visit to Rachel's tomb, a prayer gathering was held at the Kotel. Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau and former Sephardi Chief Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef expressed support for the IDF position. Harav Yosef called it a case of pikuach nefesh, the saving of human life, which takes precedent over the value of praying at the holy site. A contingent of Knesset members, primarily from the National Religious Party, pressed for permission to visit the grave and were eventually permitted to do so under IDF protection. A group of 10 men and 4 women recited psalms and conducted the afternoon service at the site. Former MK Hanan Porat criticized the closure, claiming that the IDF has the ability to ensure safe access to Rachel's tomb, if allowed to do so.