Hebron, Tue 21.10.08, Afternoon

A little episode from Hebron on Simhat Tora

After having walked the deserted streets of Hebron, we arrived at the Patriarch's Tomb Checkpoint and waited there to meet with a friend. A high ranking police officer approached us and asked in a very pleasant and polite manner if we were Machsomwatch women. We answered, politely as well, that in this very moment we were just private and curious onlookers to the Simhat Torah procession in Hebron. The officer told us that Hebron was declared a closed military zone for everybody who is not connected with this town and that he could ask us to leave the place. But because he realized that we behaved in a non provocative way he allowed us to stay. He began a friendly conversation, talked about the sensitivity of the situation in this town and we listened attentively.
In the meantime the procession of the Hebron settlers was passing by, singing and dancing around the Torah scrolls. A notorious member of the Hebron Jewish community, Baruch Marzel, saw the officer who was talking with us.
He came over, impatiently caught hold of the officer's arm to drag him to the other side of the street: "Now you have to take care of this TV team. They want to film us!" The officer, without excusing himself interrupted his conversation and immediately attended to Baruch Marzel's orders.
He ran over to the other side of the street and stopped the filming. Watching this episode we received a small glimpse into the inner affairs of the city: who is giving  the orders in Hebron and who is the real lord of the town.