Hebron - expansion of the Jewish settlement

We dedicated this shift to a meeting with our activist acquaintance, Issa Amro, and to his updates on what is happening in Hebron.

From what we see and mentioned previously, Hebron is full of posters in every corner about its centrality to the Jewish people for 4000 years.

There are other houses purchased by the settlers, such as Beit HaHeirot (Freedon House) next to the Ibrahimiya High School. Beit Hamachpela is fully populated with many children. Also, the deserted houses along the Prayer Route and Shuhada are there.  

More tanks with soldiers in every corner (paratroopers now) were added, including those that were abandoned in the past along the worshipers' axis and along Shuhada Street. When we wanted to drive on the Zion route towards the grocery store at the yellow checkpoint, we were asked if we had weapons and when we answered that we didn't, they apologized and refused to allow us to go there. This on the grounds that it is dangerous to drive there without a weapon. That's what the soldier answered and ran to guard the garage of the settler which is nearby. We were not able to convince him that we have been going there for years and know the grocery store owners well.

To remind you, there was an attack over a year ago that killed a settler from Kiryat Arba and Ofer Ohana, the Kiryat Arba security guard, was badly wounded. Since then, as always, the army is always  ready after an event.

Later I will report on what happened to us at the Kafisha checkpoint near Tel Rumeida, but first Sunday.

Issa preferred that we come to his house and not meet us in the area of the Cave of the Patriarchs and so we did.

Issa lives in Tel Rumeida which is next to the IDF station which guards the settlers.

Ostensibly this was supposed to be for his benefit, but in practice this is not what is happening. Issa tells about the daily harassment of the settlers who surround his yard, cursing and throwing stones. Everything is monitored and filmed there, in addition to the close presence of the soldiers, and yet miraculously the soldiers do not intervene, prevent, or protect Issa and his neighbours. Issa calls his house, Zumud, and explain that he will not move from it because it is clear to him that what the settlers want is to make him leave so that they can create a settlement connection from Tel Rumeida to Beit Romano, Beit Hadassah and the Cave of the Patriarchs.

Later, Issa tells about the construction boom in the area that used to be a military base in the Shuhada street in front of the Muslim cemetery. Now infrastructure is being prepared for 40 apartments which are worth thousands of shekels each and 30 of them have already been sold on paper.

Who are the buyers and how? He says that these are funds of rich Jews from the United States. Issa knows Itamar Ben Gvir and Israeli politics very well personally and accurately analyses the reality and the future with the necessary realistic pessimism.

When he joined us on our way back through the archaeological park that is next to him, we met a settler named Tzipi Schlissel (you should read about her on Google) who guides tourists from Korea there. The meeting between them boils with mutual hatred. He tells us how extreme she is and how she hates Palestinians and she explains to them how antisemitic Issa is and that we too are are either stupid or antisemitic because we are on his side.

She was photographing us and when I asked, she replied that it was a unique event.

And in the conversation which we tried to have, we talked about our roots here and our belief in a life of equality for both peoples.

She tells about her father Rabbi Ra'anan who was murdered by someone, according to her,  like Issa. She speaks also abut the book she wrote about the life of the Jews in Hebron. One Korean lady seems excited by this meeting and asks to meet with us so as to hear the other side. Issa gave her his phone number as we were already in a hurry to finish the shift.

But then there was a surprising delay.

Issa asked us to meet with people who live near the Kafisha checkpoint, which is about 500 meters from the Tamar checkpoint, adjacent to the park in question.

Why did he ask for it? Because only yesterday the checkpoint was opened after a month of being closed without explanations. Issa reminds us that there are 22 of these throughout Hebron. Throughout the Tel Rumeida area alone, there are 5.

It is important to explain that everything is probably so messed up and bureaucratic so as to monitor and confuse the Palestinian movement.

As soon as the army closes one checkpoint, Palestinians have to make detours that greatly lengthen their way which is still only on foot and difficult.

So we went there and talked to whom we had to talk, and were told that we would be updated every time there are closures and delays at the checkpoint. Now we tried go back the same way.

The soldier stops us and says that we need to get permission to allow the tourists (?) to pass. We tried and insisted on explaining who we are and we that we could not accept this senseless delay.

 Issa, as a resident of the area, is immediately allowed to pass, we are not.  

If we were settlers, we would pass without difficulty...so Issa says.

Half an hour goes by with lots of phone calls to the Big Brother until he gets permission to let us go back home.

This is l, this is the essence of life for everyone who is not on the "right" side of this city of the ancestors.

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