Historic Etzel Outpost in Safed Vandalized Ahead of 90th Anniversary Memorial

The historic Etzel (Irgun) outpost in Safed, from which fighters defended the city during the 1936 Arab revolt and the 1948 War of Independence, was recently vandalized. Yaakov Shenkman, a local historian, discovered the damage while visiting Safed to mark the 90th anniversary of the murder of the Ungar family in the 1936 events. The Israeli flag was torn down, the gate was ripped off along with its locks, and the site was littered with garbage.

Shenkman, who regularly brings youth groups to the site to educate them about the battles and Etzel fighters who protected Safed, expressed shock at the destruction. He recalled how he used to visit the outpost with Meir Hameiri, a former Etzel fighter, who explained the site's history to children. The outpost, located near the military cemetery, was a key defensive position during the Arab revolt and was upgraded in 1948.

This is not the first time heritage sites in the area have been damaged; memorial signs, including one honoring Rabbi Heller who permitted fortification work on Shabbat, have also been vandalized. Shenkman suspects the perpetrators are visitors from outside the city rather than local residents. He emphasized the importance of honoring those who fought to save Safed and announced plans to petition the Safed municipality to increase security and supervision of the site. He called for strict punishment for the vandals to deter future attacks, equating the damage to an insult against the memory of fallen IDF soldiers.