Hebron, South Hebron Hills

South Hebron Hills

Nothing unusual.  The balloon floats over Beit Haggai.  Many Border Police vehicles were travelling on Highway 60.

Hebron

As usual during school vacations, children are in the streets.  No detainees at the checkpoints and roadblocks.

Above the Hazon David synagogue, just past the road up to the Kiryat Arba police station, there’s a wheat field belonging to A.E.  For “security” reasons, they confiscated all his reaping tools.  On Saturday volunteers from Rabbis for Human Rights arrived and, together with him, harvested most of the crop by hand.  Volunteers from Ta’ayush finished the job on Sunday.

Natanya, who’d been there on Saturday, brought us to see the field.  A.E. told her that last year, the “holy” rabbi of that synagogue had set fire to the wheat.  This year everyone was happy they were able to finish harvesting.

A brief explanation:  This “synagogue” is directly opposite the gate between Kiryat Arba and Hebron.  What’s there?  A dilapidated tent, a few boards and next to it a large sign announcing that it’s a synagogue.  Since it’s located one hundred meters from the road to Beit HaMeriva, and situated between two Palestinian homes, it’s clear as day that they intend to stake another claim here.  Occasionally we see one “dear Jew” or another from Kiryat Arba-Hebron enter this magnificent tabernacle to pray.