The grave of the Biblical figure, Caleb, located near the Palestinian village of Kifl Haris, was found on Sunday morning to have been desecrated with swastikas.

“Minhelet Kever Yosef,” the organization whose members discovered the vandalism, said that those responsible were “likely Palestinian.” The organization works to preserve holy sites in the region of Samaria such as the graves of the patriarch Joseph and of the prophet Joshua.

Amongst a group of 12 spies who scouted out the land of Israel in the second year of the Jewish people’s journey from Egypt to Israel, Caleb and Joshua were the only two to come back with positive reports on the land. Thirty-eight years later, they were both rewarded by entering the land of Israel with the rest of the Jewish people while the other 10 spies passed away.

But My servant Kalev, because he was imbued with a different spirit and remained loyal to Me-him will I bring into the land that he entered, and his offspring shall hold it as a possession. (Numbers 14:24)

Pilgrims visit the site of Caleb’s grave at least several times a year, and unfortunately, this is not the first time that religious sites in Samaria have been desecrated. Just over a month ago and on the anniversary of Moses’ death, Joshua’s tomb was also found to have been desecrated with swastikas.

Chairman of the Samaria Regional Council, Yossi Dagan is demanding an end to the vandalism of holy sites in the Biblical heartland.

“I expect to hear wall-to-wall condemnation and a serious investigation of the matter, just like when Muslim or Christian holy sites are vandalized,” Dagan said in a statement.

“I expect the government and the prime minister to condemn it and find a solution to the situation to ensure that Jewish historical holy sites that have been preserved for thousands of years will not be damaged now that we are back in our land.”

Dagan suggested that Israel exercise sovereignty at least in certain parts of the Biblical heartland where holy sites are vulnerable to such acts of vandalism.

“The Palestinian Authority cannot and does not want to defend the sanctity (of the sites),” he added. “The sovereign State of Israel should protect them and if needed, sovereignty should be reinstated de facto in the area.”