Hebron, South Hebron Hills

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Observers: 
Judy, Yael Z.; Translator: Natanya
Jul-6-2017
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Morning

Road 60 is open and there is very little traffic along the length of the road. The checkpoints of the month of Ramadan have been removed and we were surprised to see new circles. One is being built at the crossroads between Yatta to road 315 and a green one at the southern entrance to Hebron opposite Pnei Hever.

Golani is now on duty in Hebron.

On each guard post is a notice of sympathy for the soldier who was shot by a bullet shot by one of those under his command.  Today all exercises have been cancelled. We peep into the army camp which is at the bottom of Shuhada street. It seems that there is a gathering of soldiers who are being given a lesson or a lecture. Besides the soldiers who man the guard posts there are no patrols or presence of army vehicles.

On the steps which lead to the girls’ school  a soldier opens the gate to an elderly Palestinian but not to his young son, although the Palestinian tells  the soldier that  they both belong to a family who live at the top of the steps and they have a permit of passage. The soldier is suspicious.  Checks the list in the guard post, phones his superiors and then allows the young man through. When I ask in surprise what he does when the teachers of the school comes he says that he does not answer such questions.

Under the checkpoint at Tel Rumeida is a Palestinian house which has been renovated – the money comes from Abu Dhabi. At the rolling checkpoint we ask to pass so as to visit the cemeteries and the soldiers allow us to go through.

Below is a photograph of the cemetery of those killed in the pogrom of Tarpat (1929) which is now the civil and army cemetery of Hebron.

Next to the grocery shop which is behind  the checkpoint a house has been opened on which is written  “Doct ors without borders.” Underneath in the road is a car of the organization and the driver inside speaks to us in Hebrew

He drives to the doctors who visit Palestinians in their homes. They come when they are asked to and it seems that regularly they can treat people in the “shop“ at Tel Rumeida.

 Abed is in a pensive mood. He shows us a youtube video which shows a demonstration of his family opposite the Palestinian Authority building where he is speaking. The demonstration is after the killing of his nephew by an IDF officer. Abed says that that the officer was interrogated at Ofer camp as a result of the demand by the Palestinian Authority.

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Opposite his shop we meet young American women from the organization Code Pink who have come to demonstrate at the trial of the Hebron activist, Issa. They say that the trial will take place on Sunday at the Offer camp and they are trying to arrange a large presence of those who are against his arrest.

On the way back it is already afternoon and everything seems to peaceful.

 

The cemetery of the 1929 massacre
Photo: 
Judy Orbach
A renovated Palestinian house donated by Abu Dhabi
Photo: 
Judy Orbach