Are the end of times coming? Joseph's Tomb violently torched by Palestinians in growing wave of violence

Palestinian-Israeli violence continues with no end in sight

Palestinians have set fire to a Jewish Holy site in the West Bank, an act that further escalates the growing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. Jerusalem is going on two weeks of violent attacks and protests are expected to continue. The fire ignited as Palestinians called for a "Friday of revolution" against Israel.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - "It's time that President Abbas stops not only justifying it, but also calling for it," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, explaining he is more than willing to meet with Mahmud Abbas, the Palestinian president.

Abbas has been accused of inciting the violence by calling for peaceful protests, but not condemning the violent attacks. However, Abbas was quick to condemn the torching of the site known by the Jewish community as Joseph's Tomb.

Joseph's Tomb, located within a Palestinian refugee camp of Balata in Nablus, has been a reoccurring area of violence between Palestinians and Israelis, according to AFP. Jews believe this is the final resting place of the Bible's Joseph, but Muslims insist an Islamic clerk was buried their 200 years ago.

The "illegal arson offends our culture and our religion and our morals," stated Abbas, noting a committee would investigate the incident and damages would be repaired.

The shrine is now under Palestinian control, only accessed by Israelis escorted by the army.

"Burning Joseph's Tomb is a dangerous attempt to exacerbate an already tense environment," Nickolay Mladenov, UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, said on Twitter.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has also warned Abbas against inciting further violence and announced plans to travel to the areas in attempts to calm the rage.

Around 300 soldiers will be deployed into the area to help security forces and police drowning in the growing number of attacks. That amount of Israeli soldiers have not been sent into the city since the second Palestinian uprising in 2002.

Since the start of the most recent stint of stabbing attacks and violent protests two weeks ago, seven Israelis have been killed and dozens wounded. Thirty-three Palestinians have also lost their lives, including attackers and hundreds more wounded during clashes with Israeli forces.

During the previous uprisings, intifadas, of 1987-1993 and 2000-2005, thousands of people were killed and even more wounded in the daily violence.

Netanyahu continues to attempt to halt the violence with police checkpoints and imposed curfews on parts of Jerusalem. However, the attacks continue to spark Israeli anger and video footage of Palestinian death at the hands of Israeli security continues to enrage Palestinians.

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