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Their names were Mohammad, Nadeem, Eyal, Naftali and Gilad. Just five of the latest, senseless casualties in a six-decade long conflict.
They were all teenagers.
“Casualties”.
Nothing casual about this ten letter word. A word used to reduce destroyed human lives to numbers on a page. Mohammad, Nadeem, Eyal, Naftali and Gilad had beating hearts and teenage hopes and dreams. They gave their mothers warm hugs.
Mohammad and Nadeem were shot by the IDF in Ramallah on May 20. We were not too far from the area when the shootings happened. The teens were at a Nakba day demonstration. They were killed in broad daylight, picked off like clay pigeons on a shooting range. CCTV footage showed they posed no threat, they were shot in cold blood.
There was some media coverage but little international attention or condemnation of Nadeem and Mohammad’s murders.
Eyal, Naftali and Gilad were kidnapped on June 12. They were yeshiva students at the Israeli settlements in Hebron and Kfar Etzion, hitch hiking-home in the evening. Gilad tried to call out from his cell and get help as they were being kidnapped. It is chilling to hear. Back in the US I first heard the news on NPR. In the following days Israeli forces killed 6 more Palestinians, arrested over 400, demolished the family homes of suspects and placed the entire district of Hebron (over 650,000 people) under virtual lockdown.The bodies of the three missing Israeli teenagers turned up in a Hebron field on June 30th.
Within hours, Israel was bombing targets in the Gaza Strip although it was not proven that the two suspects in the case were Hamas members.
Human rights organizations issued a joint letter urging Israeli authorities to refrain from collectively punishing the civilian Palestinian population in the West Bank and Gaza Strip
President Obama issued a statement that the United States condemned “in the strongest possible terms this senseless act of terror against innocent youth.”
Israeli youth.
Your tax dollars at work: Since 1967 Israel has built 150 new Jewish-only settlements inside Palestine with upwards of 650,000 residents. It wants land, not peace. Settlers are the new “facts on the ground”, that can’t be moved it’s claimed. The 700,000 Palestinians who lived for generations on this land only to be swept away like twigs with a broom in 1948, weren’t “facts on the ground”. Neither are the $2.7MM present day Palestinians in the Occupied West Bank. They can be pushed out too, slowly but surely.Since the year 2000, the Israeli military has killed one Palestinian child every 4 days.
The words of Amin Al-Suwaity, the Director of Palestinian Security in Jenin echoed in my ears. Flashback to May 19th when we met him:
The headquarters of the Palestinian Security Forces in Jenin are in a large, imposing stone building encircled by a tall block wall. It looks to be fairly new, and entrance to the compound is controlled by a massive iron gate. The gate swings open and we walk inside. There is a guardhouse on the corner with a few uniformed officers standing around, chit chatting in the midday heat, machine guns slung over their shoulders and cigarettes dangling languidly from their fingers. One of them has a rosary. We are instructed not to take pictures inside.
The contrast with the IDF building where we met its spokesperson and head of media strategy, Col Peter Lerner just days ago, couldn’t be more striking. The ramshackle building in Tel Aviv and the smiling teenage women officers who welcomed us right outside, seemed to belie the formidable, highly trained and ruthless force that the IDF is. Putting the official spokesperson of the military in such a non descript, low-key setting seemed like an effort to present “a kinder, gentler face of the IDF”, to us friendly, foreign dignitaries.
The Palestinian Security forces building on the other hand, is clearly trying to impress by looking like a “government building”, big and very official. It’s trying to convince the visitor of the authority and might of the (far weaker) PA security force, if only by its sheer size. Like many official buildings we have seen in the Palestinian Territories, it’s trying to create on the ground, the trappings of a sovereign state where one has been struggling for exist, for six decades. In other words, it’s trying to “Fake it till You Make it”.
Even the name is a bit of a ridiculous oxymoron. It’s called the Department of “Preventive Security”. The security forces of most nations are charged with protecting and defending the nation. The PA doesn’t really have a military, but it has developed over the last two decades since the second intifada, a security force. The primary job of this “preventive security” force is to provide security not to the Palestinian people, but to Israel, from the threat of Palestinian resistance, aka terrorism. A whopping 40% of the Palestinian national budget is spent on maintaining this security force, that in effect protects Israelis from Palestinians, and also Palestinians from themselves.
There’s no elevator in sight within the building and when my wheelchair companion sees the long flight of stairs up to our meeting room, she wants to stay behind. A couple of strong bystanders appear out of nowhere and kindly volunteer to carry her up the stairs, wheelchair and all.
“She’s a trooper”, I tell one of them as we go up the stairs, “She just visited Al-Quds and prayed at Al-Aqsa last Friday.”
“How lucky!” He replies. “I’ve only been able to go once in my life, in 1998, and I’m 43 now.”
“Why?” I ask, “You live so close by”. (Jerusalem is literally a couple hours drive away).
“It’s really hard to get permits from the Israeli authorities, especially for Palestinian men”, he says.
Our helpers heave their load up the flights of steps to the Director’s office, I thank them profusely, and we get situated on sofas in a large office, in front of a massive glass-topped wooden desk, set against the backdrop of flags. Framed portraits of Palestinian leaders and martyrs line the walls.
A slim, middle aged and mustachioed man enters the room and gets seated behind the desk. This is Amin Al-Suwaity, the Director of Palestinian Preventive Security in Jenin. He has worked in the security forces for 21 years, and in Jenin for two. Amin begins his briefing in Arabic, and an interpreter translates for us as he speaks.
“I am the Head of Preventive Security for the people of Palestine and we work hard to address the concerns of our people. We embody the heritage left by our late president Yasser Arafat. We are following him in delivering his message in all of its ways, until we attain freedom.
There are sixty four residential clusters in Jenin and this office in Jenin city is in charge of all the ares. The construction of the Israeli separation wall started from this Jenin area and confiscated a large amount of land from this governerate, and also prevented a large number of people from working their land and visiting their relatives.
We the Palestinian people have “Sumud”, steadfastness, in the face of this occupation. And we will continue to have steadfastness.
The Preventive Security Force has these main tasks:
1. The first and most important is to eliminate terrorism. We have succeeded in the last 29 years in stopping a large number of suicide bombings against Israelis. Right now we have people in jail who have been stopped from attacking Israelis.
2. Stop all the arms trade and also drugs trade. There are lots of arms in the area. They are provided by Israel. We have confiscated tons of well equipped and advanced arms from the Jenin area. The Israeli security knows about this. Their goal is to create a security mess on the ground here in the territories (to legitimize the continuing occupation). All the drugs come here from Israel too, and ruin our kids future.
3. Eliminate crime. Crime exists in all cities of the world and we work to address it like in any other place.
4. Prevent money laundering by Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
5. Arrest anyone calling for armed resistance.
We follow the instructions from our president. We respect all the international commitments we have made to the international community and the Quartet.
The IDF enters Jenin at will, all the time, day or night. Israel’s goal is to weaken the PA. In the past seven months nine people have been killed inside Jenin by Israel. Some of them could have been arrested. Israeli justifications are the usual ones; someone was about to do an act, we made a mistake, someone was in our way etc. Every time a Palestinian is killed, there are demonstrations against the PA, and we are weakened.
Demonstrations are incited by Hamas and Islamic Jihad every time a youth is killed in Jenin and they accuse us that we are collaborating with the Israelis and Americans. We have worked hard to eliminate the popularity of Hamas but a single act by the Israelis can bing Hamas back in a moment.”
Someone asks about Amin’s thoughts on the possibility of a Fatah and Hamas unity government, something recently announced after the failure of current negotiations.
“There were 700 members of PA security killed and 2000 kneecapped, by Hamas in 2006. Reconciliation won’t happen. As far as the government of Hamas in Gaza, there are many equations that can change the situation in Gaza. The Muslim Brotherhood (which supported Hamas) is not in power in Egypt any longer. Hamas is ruling Gaza with military power. We believe that if there are fair elections in Gaza today, they won’t get more than 30% of the vote. The elections we have coming up, they can change many things. The first experience of political Islam happened in Palestine, when Hamas succeeded in municipal elections. But then it showed its true colors. The same thing happened in Egypt. Morsi was elected but people immediately recognized their mistake. We look at Egypt and it is looking very positive now.
We send our best regards to the government and the people of USA. We are happy that three days ago President Obama acknowledged and announced that Israel is the main reason for the failure of the negotiations.
There is a right wing government in Israel that does whatever it wants outside international law. Israel is outside of international law and has been outside of international law. If it wants, the USA can change regimes of foreign countries in a matter of hours. Then why can’t it put pressure on Israel?
This is our message to the American people:
We ask the American people who are pioneers of freedom and democracy, to put pressure on Israel to return to the negotiating table. We don’t deny that the US government has helped us financially and otherwise. But we need them to put direct pressure on Israel. The most important force in this process is the USA. Even a junior American official giving a hopeful position can be more powerful than heads of 21 Arab states.
After the failure of the current negotiations, security-wise, this area is going to an “Unknown Place”. And it’s not a political place.
In the world today, we only have the Palestinian people under occupation. And the free world should support the Palestinian people to win their freedom.
Before we run out of time.”
As Amin says these ominous words a grim realization begins to take shape in my mind.
That the last hopes of the Palestinian people ride on help from America and Americans. They are pinning their hopes on us, when we have been led by governments who have demonstrated time and time again that push come to shove, when it comes to a question of “American Values” vs. “Strategic Interests”, strategic interests always trump values.
As Americans, we are lucky to be living in a country that is not for people of one faith, or one race, or one tribe. It’s a country for the many, with equal rights for all.
The realization that our government does not support in Israel-Palestine, what we assume to be our God-given rights here in America, saddens me profoundly.
Happy 4th of July.
It is a beautiful afternoon as we arrive at Efrat settlement; cloudless blue sky, gentle sunshine, cool breeze. Just like a picture perfect Southern California day.
Efrat Settlement
Efrat Street
Efrat home
We could easily be in a nice Southern California suburb, looking at the shining clean streets lined with red roofed villas, well kept yards, slopes covered with greenery and trees gently swaying in the breeze; Convincing, that is, if we don’t look in the direction of the ramshackle Palestinian village on the nearby hills, the mosque minaret a dead giveaway to its dreary surroundings .
We stop at Pizzeria Efrat, to have a quick bite, before our afternoon meeting with Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Riskin.
Pizzeria Efrat looks just like a pizza joint in Brooklyn, and owner Mordechai sits down with us to chat. The walls are lined with framed posters of a younger and very fit Mordechai, running the New York marathon.
” Efrat was built by Rabbi Riskin starting in 1984. He came from Brooklyn, and many families followed him to come settle in Efrat. I have lived here for 22 years with my 9 kids. I have a GREAT lifestyle, a basketball court, mountains nearby, tremendous health-care for just $100/month for my whole family! My mother lives in Houston and she has terrible health-care in comparison. I don’t read the newspaper, watch TV, listen to the radio, no political nonsense! We have gone on with our lives and so have they! (meaning the Palestinians)”
(I wonder what he means when he says the Palestinians have gone on with their lives? Which ones, the one’s who left Palestine and cannot return, or the one’s whose land Efrat settlement is built on?)
The pizza arrives. It is delicious. Thin and crispy crust, loaded with veggies, just the way I like it. Pizzeria Efrat has been the pizza joint of choice for the likes of political leaders and foreign dignitaries. It’s reputation is well deserved.
Pizzeria Efrat
“We also have one of the biggest supplies of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream”, Mordechai says proudly, motioning at the large freezers in the corner, where every tantalizing flavor is represented. I quickly eyeball the freezers for Coconut Almond Fudge Chip, my favorite, which has (alas!) been discontinued in the US (almonds got too expensive), but can’t see it. Too bad!
Feeling pleasantly full and relaxed, we stroll over to the main synagogue/community center of Efrat to meet Rabbi Riskin. It is an impressive building, simple contemporary architecture made of hewn Jerusalem stone, spacious and filled with light. We settle down on some modern looking, velvety, ruby red couches in a large hall, with walls displaying colorful artwork .
Efrat Synagogue
Hot beverages await us, perking us up and dispelling some of the afternoon lethargy. It appears that the center is used to hosting lots of outside visitors.
Rabbi Riskin joins us. He is not very tall, somewhat stout, but looks dapper in his pinstripe suit and bright red tie. My eyes are drawn to his kipa, and then I notice what appears to be a renewed and fuller hair line, thanks to hair grafts. Just like anybody else, the rabbi too, cares about maintaining a youthful appearance.
Something very interesting happens next. In a jovial manner, the rabbi says something like:
“Are all of us Jewish?”, meaning the members of our group.
Not used to beginning a meeting with a public declaration of my faith, I feel a little awkward. We have met many people in Israel and the West Bank and nobody has asked that question out loud, let alone as an “ice breaker” at a group meeting.
Too polite to say “Why do you want to know?”, we dutifully go around the circle and say our names and our religion.
The rabbi begins his story:
” I’m Rabbi Shlomo Riskin. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and moved to Efrat 27 years ago, I’m a Proud Settler.There are 10-11,000 settlers who reside in the area, 99% of them are religious and attend synagogue. We have 33 synagogues.
4 generations of my family have lived here. I live here with my children and grandchildren. My parents moved here from the United States after I did, and they are buried here.”
I get a sense that it is very important to the rabbi that we understand and appreciate his deep generational ties to Efrat (as though living for 27 years on land that doesn’t belong to you, erases the claim of its rightful owners of centuries.)
“I have no problems with people who are different from me. I lived in African-American neighborhoods and got along famously with the black kids. I would play ball with them and they called this my ‘Jew beanie'”, he motions to his kipa.
“I am a leader of an initiative to promote Christian-Jewish understanding and cooperation. Muslims are afraid of being part of the dialogue because of the threat of reprisals as a result of being seen as ‘collaborators’ with the Jews.
When I first came to Efrat I made it a point to learn about the local Arab culture. I invited all the neighboring ‘mukhtars’ (leaders of the villages) to my home for dinner. I knew it was not acceptable to serve alcohol to Muslims so I was sensitive not to serve any wine. I became good friends with one of the neighboring mukhtars. With a $25MM donation promised by a financier friend in the US, I wanted to partner with the Arab mukhtar and open a Muslim-Christian-Jewish hospital.
A short while later, the mukhtar was found dead, hanging naked from a tree with his genitals removed.
We are two people with roots in the same land, vying for the land. Jews have always lived here in an unbroken chain for 4000 years.”
(I thought Moses lived about 3000 years ago?)
“About the time Israel came into existence , 22 Arab states were formed. England cared about the Arab world. They wanted to give 80% of the land to Arabs and 20% to Jews. Eventually Jews got 35% but lost East Jerusalem. Arabs were ‘dislocated’ in the war, but right of return is nonsense! ” the rabbi says vehemently.”
(The rabbi needs to consult factcheck.org to brush up his historical facts. Israel was created with 55% of the land and 45% for the proposed Palestinian state. The Jewish-Arab population split at the time, was 30% Jewish and 70% Arab. )
He continues:
“I believe that what unites us should be stronger than what divides us. I believe in the strong Jewish moorings of Christianity.”
(I’m a little confused. Forgive my ignorance but I don’t believe Jews accept Jesus to be the Messiah. And what about the strong Jewish and Christian moorings of Islam, which considers both Moses and Jesus prophets?)
“We here believe in our own military security. There have been more than 20 indictments of Israel. We don’t trust the UN and the world. What kind of crazy irrational religion tells its followers to go kill themselves? You know what research has found about suicide bombers? They are not poor, illiterate and oppressed. They are middle class and educated. A war with suicide bombers is impossible to win, unless you nuke the other side. We won’t nuke the other side…But if we have to, we will.
We are all children of Abraham. We should exist in peace. I have wonderful relations with the Palestinians. They do all kinds of work on the settlement.
I support a two state solution, and I believe Temple Mount should be internationalized, with a synagogue and a church built on top.”
Daniel wants to make sure he heard right and asks:
“Where do you think the synagogue and a church should be built, on top?”
“Yes, why not?” the rabbi answers.
“Look, there is no limit to the concessions I would make for peace. If it means leaving Efrat, I will. I will get out of Efrat, get out of Jerusalem, get out of Tel Aviv!”
(Now he’s getting a little carried away. Yes he did say that, I wrote it down.)
Here comes the punchline:
“But Morality says: No suicide bombers!”
(In my opinion Morality says: No Bombers, period. Whether they are of the nuclear, conventional or suicidal variety)
I’m getting a bit riled up now and ask the rabbi a question:
” I completely agree with you that suicide bombing is irrational and utterly reprehensible. But it’s much more than just a simple death cult. It defies logic that there are never ending factories of suicide bombers, ready to give up their lives. This ‘never ending’ phenomenon begs the question, what are the conditions that exist, that perpetuate this phenomenon and motivate a seemingly endless stream of people to squander their lives in this senseless manner?”
“What do you think are the reasons?” the rabbi says.
(He is clever. He wants to hear my views first so he rebuts and gets the last word. I see through this and refuse to fall into the trap.)
“No, what do you think?” I maintain.
He repeats something along the lines that it’s the religious fanatics.
“And we have one right here”, I whisper under my breath, thinking nobody heard me, until I hear Ellen suppress a chuckle on my right. Oops!
When he is done I speak up:
” The reason this endless stream of suicide bombers exists is not solely because of fanatical religious ideology. It also has much to do with the hard fact that the two parties to this conflict are hugely unequal in every way. One side is is much stronger militarily, economically and politically. The weaker side has no tanks, no fighter jets, no missiles or nukes or phosphorus shells. So they use their bodies as weapons, and use them in an irrational and reprehensible manner, that inflicts the most damage to the enemy”
What needs to be recognized is that every human life lost is a tragedy; it is immaterial whether it is Arab or Jew. According to conservative estimates by Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem at least 6 times as many Palestinians as Israelis, have been killed between 2000-2008. At least 10 times as many Palestinian children have been killed.
As we say goodbye to Rabbi Riskin and leave the center I see an Arab visitor on the street, perhaps a workman. As I glance over my shoulder, I see that the rabbi greets him effusively and shakes the Arab’s hand for a very long time.
In researching Rabbi Riskin, I discovered this interesting analysis about his life and activities by orthodox Jewish professor of philosophy, Jerry Haber of Jerusalem:
Giving Rabbi Riskin a gift from our group
The Death of Jacob:
29 Then he gave them these instructions: “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, along with the field. 31 There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah. 32[o] ” The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.
33 When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people. (Genesis 49: 29-33)
The Tomb of the Patriarchs aka the Ibrahimi Mosque
Mamre was the ancient name for Hebron and this is the Biblical reference to the Cave of Machpela, which is the burial chamber of the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob along with Sarah, Rebecca and Leah), located underground directly below the tomb complex.
The Book of Zohar, the main source of Jewish Kabbalistic mysticism, regards the cave as the threshold to the Garden of Eden, and the place where Adam buried Eve, and was later buried himself.
At the Gutnick Center in the Jewish part of the old city of Hebron, we meet Noam Arnon, a leader of the Jewish settler community. Noam is middle aged and personable. He is dressed casually in a light blue shirt, black pants, kipa on his head and key ring dangling from a pocket.
Noam tells us about the history of Tomb of the Patriarchs or the Cave of Machpela, regarded as the roots of the Jewish people, if not all mankind. He hands out books about the ancient holy site that he has helped write.
Noam says that a small community of Jews had been living in Hebron in an unbroken chain for two thousand years. Their relations with their Arab neighbors were for the most part cordial until the Hebron massacre (during the British Mandate period) in 1929, when 67 Jews out of a community of about 500, were murdered by Arabs answering the call of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Hajj Amin al-Husaini.
The British police did nothing to protect the Jews. About 40 Arabs saved the Jews.
The Jews left Hebron and returned in 1968, the year after Hebron was “liberated” by Israel (from Jordan) in the Six-Day War . A group of Jews rented the main hotel in Hebron and then refused to leave. After more than a year and a half of agitation and a bloody Arab attack on the Hebron settlers, the Israeli government agreed to allow the group to establish a settlement on the outskirts of the city, Kiryat Arba, now the home of 1500 Jewish families. Another 80 families live in the old city of Hebron.
Noam is upset about the discrimination against the Jews in that they are “not yet” allowed to build/purchase property anywhere they like in the West Bank town of Hebron, whereas there are no such restrictions on the Arabs.
From the Gutnick Center we walk over to the Tomb of the Patriarchs compound and Noam continues his talk:
” This site is as old as the story of Abraham, which happened 4000 years ago. The present structure was first added by King Herod about 2000 years ago in 30 BCE. Only Jews lived here 2000 years ago so the original structure itself was built by Jews. ” Noam points out the visible differences in the old parts of the outside wall of the compound, and the later construction added by Muslims.
“During 1267-1967, for 700 years, the Mameluks and Turks denied the rights of Jews and Christians to enter the holy site. Jews were not permitted to ascend beyond the seventh step outside the walls, and that’s where they stood and prayed.”
Despite huge resistance and harassment by Arabs, the present Jewish community in Hebron is simply carrying on the work of the Jews who lived here in an unbroken chain, for thousands of years. Hebron timeline .
“We just want to live normal lives”, says Noam.
Noam (left) motions towards the Arab hawkers, straddling the barrier to the Jewish part of the old city
“Things were different before 1994”, says Noam, “People moved about freely. You could go to your Arab mechanic in Bethlehem, and your Jewish dentist in Tel Aviv.”
All that changed in 1994 with the Purim incident. The Tombs of the Patriarchs complex was partitioned with Muslims granted 82% of the area and Jews 18%. Noam leads us to the Jewish synagogue. Security is very tight.
Muslims are not allowed in the Jewish section, and Jews are not allowed in the Muslim section. Last year our daughter Mariam’s entire student group was asked to leave when she publicly declared that she was a Muslim by covering her hair. We have been briefed to say that we are Christian. It feels very uncomfortable but we do. The men all have to wear paper kipas. We go inside.
Entering the Synagogue
In the main hall of the synagogue
The Arabic calligraphy is intact around Sarah's Tomb
Abraham's tomb. The Hebrew inscription reads, "The Grave of Zion. Avraham, our Father"
The Hebrew inscription reads, "The Grave of Zion, Sarah, our Mother"
I am named after Sarah, the wife of Abraham. It feels strange to behold my tomb.
We walk out and pass the Yeshiva students in orthodox Jewish garb, poring over their religious texts. I look closely and am amused to see that one young student has fallen asleep, bent over his books.
Security is even tougher on the Muslim (Ibrahimi Mosque) side of the complex. Now it’s the Jewish group members’ turn to be embarrassed and uncomfortable. They have to lie and say they are Christian.
Security gate on the mosque side
Once we enter, Amjad from the Waqf (the Trust that manages the mosque), scurries behind us. He personally starts putting long hooded robes on all the ladies in our group, even though we are all capable of dressing ourselves, and everyone is modestly dressed anyway. This is even more embarrassing.
We tell him that we would like to offer prayers. “Six minutes, six minutes only!” he says, hurrying us.
Trying to establish a supersonic spiritual connection with God keeping in view the “six minute” deadline, Athar and I scramble to say our prayers, really fast.
As soon as we finish Amjad starts to point out the main attractions of the site, from the Muslim side:
Abraham, or Ibrahim's Tomb from the Muslim side
Lamb aperture, directly above the burial cave, where four lights burn for the Patriarchs
Here is my tomb again, from the Muslim side
Main prayer hall with decoartive 'mimbar' or pedestal for the imam
Amjad finishes his quick tour and demands donations for the mosque. Athar and I put our donation in the box. Daniel gives his donation directly to Amjad, and he slips it into his pocket as soon as Daniel turns away.
Noam joins up with us once more outside the complex, and takes us for a walking tour of the Jewish Quarter.
Again, my eyes take in the familiar, desolate landscape of shuttered shops, road blocks and barbed wire. There is no restoration of the old city here, and no plaques thanking the donors for the restoration. The only plaques I see are those affixed on street corners, memorializing the settlers who died in that spot, from sniper fire.
The terribly high cost of providing security to this tiny community of 500 settlers becomes clear:
Shuttered shops barbed wire blocks alleys
Barbed wire separates Arabs from Jews
Not a single shop on this street was open
The plaque reads: In Memory of Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhak Shapira, murdered at this site by an Arab terrorist, September 23, 2002
Another concrete roadblock reinforced with barbed wire
Security surveillance camera above Jewish apartments
Kids playground in the Jewish section
Memorial to 10 month old Shalhevet Pass, killed in her baby carriage, by Arab sniper fire. Her father was injured by the same bullet.
Since the outbreak of the Al-Aqsa Intifada in September 2000 – which marked the beginning of the most recent upsurge in violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – at least 954 Palestinian and 123 Israeli children under the age of 18 have been killed, according to B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights monitoring group. According to a MIFTAH report between September 28, 2000 and September 30, 2008 999 Palestinian children and 123 Israeli children were killed. These figures include 32 Palestinian babies stillborn at checkpoints (not included by B’Tselem). Children and minors in the conflict
This historic old synagogue which was functioning until 1929, was razed and used as an animal pen until 1967. Now it has been rebuilt by the settlers.
These valuable old Torah scrolls were hidden and somehow saved during the 1929 massacre, and have been miraculously returned to the old synagogue.
Beautiful Torah Scrolls, old and new
Street murals depicting the 1929 massacre of 67 Jews in Hebron
This used to be the wholesale vegetable market, which the settlers converted into living quarters. The Israeli government forced them out, and Noam was upset about that
Though we did not get to ride it, this decorated cart is perhaps used to provide transportation to tourists?
Hebrom museum memorializing the 1929 massacre of Jews, with a section dedicated to Hajj Amin el Hussaini, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem
Pictures of the 67 Jews who were killed in the massacre
David Wilder, the community PR person and spokesman and our guide at the museum
Sign demanding the return of land stolen by Arabs from the Jews after 1929
David Wilder is the PR person for the Hebron settler community. He moved to Hebron from the United States. He has a quietly intense manner and blazing eyes. He carries a gun.
David guides through the beautiful museum memorializing the 1929 massacre. Scenes of Jewish daily life before the massacre transition to images of destruction. David reiterates that Jews have lived in Hebron in “an unbroken chain” for thousands of years and the present settlers are just carrying on the work of their predecessors who were driven out.
I raise my hand to ask a question:
“David, you feel very strongly about the rights of Jews to return to Hebron and reclaim the land that was taken away from them. What is your position on the right of return for the 700,000 Palestinians who were driven out in 1948 and prevented from returning to their homes and their land?”
David regards me with his blazing, intense eyes and declares,
” Those people left of their own accord, in a war. If they decide to leave, that’s their problem, it’s not my problem.“
Walid Abu-Halawa from the Hebron Rehabilitation committee takes us on a walking tour of downtown Hebron. Here is what he had to say, and the story of our walk in pictures:
Hebron is an ancient and historic city 5500 years old. It is the site of the Ibrahimi Mosque (Tomb of the Patriarchs) where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah,Jacob and Leah are buried. The site is considered holy by Jews, Christians and Muslims.
Hebron is the largest commercial and industrial city in the West Bank. The area had been under Muslim control from the twelfth century until 1967, when Israel occupied the city after its victory over Jordan in the 1967 war. Extremist Jewish settlers moved into town starting in 1968, and now there are 5 settlements in and around the city of Hebron.
The 400 settlers in downtown Hebron, together with the 1500 IDF troops deployed for their protection, have paralyzed life in the old city, reducing it to a ghost town. Settlers are allowed to carry automatic weapons. There are over 100 road blocks and closures in a 1 km area. With the closure of the main “Shuhada Street”, what used to be a 2 minute walk now has become a 12 km trip. 76.6% of the shops in the old city have either been closed by IDF military order, or forced to close due to lack of business.
The Hebron Rehabilitation Committee with help from many overseas donors has refurbished parts of the old city of Hebron. The city was selected out of 550 competitors and won the the Aga Khan award for restoration, presented by King Juan Carlos of Spain.
The old city of Hebron is ancient and full of character. We walk through narrow paved streets, covered with vaulted archways and lined with lovely buildings made of hand hewn stone. Sunlight streams into the clearings and yet the air feels cool. The city is mostly deserted, as we walk through the narrow covered alleyways , empty homes and shops everywhere, devoid of their occupants, eerily silent, sad but beautiful.
Lovely clay pottery latticework decorates ancient Hebron buildings
Sunlight filters into a "Housh" in the old city. Each family compound is called a housh and has its own entrance gate
Most of the shops in the old city were shuttered
Shopkeeper wearing the traditional Palestinian Keffiyeh
This street is covered with mesh to catch the trash that is thrown on the Arab shops by settlers in the apartments above
George asks us to support this handicrafts store whose owner has two sons in college
Restored market square with closed shops in the background
Commemorative plaques adorn many streets, identifying the donors who helped with the restoration
The Freedom Coffee Shop
Handmade ceramics workshop
Permanent road closure on a main street
Walid buys us sweets at this candy store, so famous, that it has never ever closed
Shops closed by IDF military order have their doors welded shut
Hebron sign points the direction to "Al Quds" (Jerusalem)
Colorful pickles for sale
General provisions store. The young man in the foreground was a hawker, who followed us everywhere
Checkpoint at the ibrahimi Mosque. Six entrances to the mosque are now closed and only one remains open. Worshippers are checked three times before they get into the mosque
More shuttered shops, past the checkpoint close to the mosque
Hebron Hawkers
Throughout our walk we were stalked by some very persistent young hawkers. They carried their wares in plastic bags, inexpensive souvenirs like stretchy beaded “Palestinian flag” bracelets and little hand embroidered purses. if we bought something from one, the others got upset that we didn’t buy anything from them. They hounded us wherever we went, and we didn’t know whether to be sympathetic, or annoyed.
They were not very pleasant, maybe even dangerous, yet they made me intensely sad.
One of them wore a shirt that said “Peace will come, Why not now?” The other young man, thin, with a gaunt expression, had anger and a hint of desperation in his eyes. I don’t know why they made me so sad. I wondered if they had parents, siblings, families to support. Such hawkers are very common, in fact they are all over the city streets in my native Pakistan. But it was the anger, simmering just below the surface friendliness of these Palestinian youths, that got to me.
Anger at being pushed around, being marginalized, being powerless to step out of their meager, day to day existence.
Anger that had simmered a long time, that if left unchecked, threatened to boil over, explode and consume everything around them.
A view of the Ibrahimi Mosque from a Hebron rooftop
We drive to Hebron in the morning and arrive in the bustling West Bank city to meet the mayor, Khaled Osaily.
We have been warned that visiting Hebron will be an emotionally trying experience. It is arguably the most “divided” city in the occupied territories, with huge tensions between Jewish settlers and the local Arab population.
On our bus ride there, our guide George Rishmawi entertains us with some fun facts about the city to lighten the mood. Hebron residents have a taste for camel meat. The city is famous for the best falafel.
George asks directions as our bus gets stuck in a steep Hebron alley
George also points out to us the TIPH observers wearing red armbands that say “Observer” . TIPH is a temporary international civil observer mission, whose job is to report on breaches of international law and agreements on Hebron, to their 6 constituent countries and to Israeli government and the PA.
TIPH observers are unarmed civilians
with Mayor Osaily
Mayor Khaled Osaily is gentlemanly and charming, dressed in a well-cut suit. We take turns introducing ourselves and when he hears that Athar and I are from San Diego, he points out that much of the stone and marble used at the San Diego airport came from his city, Hebron.
The mayor mentions that he will be having dinner that night in Bethlehem, with visiting US Vice President Joe Biden.
Daniel Wehrenfenig, our group leader, says that our delegation is there to be a “Voice for you”.
The mayor replies, “Be a voice not for us, but for Peace. Do whatever you can for peace.”
Mayor Osaily also points out emphatically that, “Peace means justice”.
Here are some excerpts from the mayor’s briefing:
“Hebron, at over 4000 years old, is one of the oldest cities in world. There are at least 2 cities named after Hebron in the United States. It is the largest city in the occupied West Bank with a population of about 250,000, and the entire province has about 700,000 people. The West Bank was captured by Israel from Jordan in 1967, so Hebron has been under Israeli occupation for 43 years.
In 1968, a group of radical Jews rented rooms in a Hebron hotel and refused to leave. In 1979, a few extremist settlers from Brooklyn arrived, occupied a downtown building in the middle of the night and started a settlement.
On February 25, 1994 Baruch Goldstein, an American-born Jewish physician, perpetrated the Ibrahimi mosque (Cave of the Patriarchs) massacre, killing 29 Muslims kneeling at prayer and wounding another 150. The mosque was subsequently divided.
Today, there are 5 Jewish settlements in and around this West Bank city, including the largest, ‘Kiryat Arba’ which was Dr. Goldstein’s home.
The 400 or so downtown Hebron settlers, guarded by 4 times as many IDF soldiers, have turned life upside down for the residents of Hebron. Downtown Hebron with the historic Qasba or market, and the Ibrahimi Mosque (Cave of the Patriarchs) at its center, has become a ghost town. There are over 100 roadblocks and closures within a 1km area. Many streets have been completely closed to the Arab residents, and not even the mayor can go on those streets. 1000 apartments have been evacuated and 1819 shops have been forcibly shuttered or forced to close.
Downtown Hebron has become a ghost town.
The city has been divided into zones Hebron 1 and 2 (H1 and H2). H2 is completely under IDF control. The old city has endured curfews of up to 280 days in a year.
Shuhada Street, the main road in downtown Hebron is closed by military order, despite a high court decision revoking the closure. $3MM was given by the United States on the condition that the road be re-opened but it remains closed to this day.”
Mayor Osaily invites all peace lovers and lovers of history to join him as he recently signed an agreement 10/21/09 to give Hebron the status through UNESCO of “Heritage for Humankind”
“The Israeli government last year decided to add the Ibrahimi Mosque to their list of Jewish Heritage sites. This is as outrageous as any Muslim country, let’s say Indonesia, putting the mosque of Cordoba in Spain, on the list of its heritage sites. We want to preserve the mosque as it is. The Israeli government wants to add ceilings, and make many changes in the mosque”, says mayor Osaily.
“58% of Hebron’s population is under 18, and the youth had no infrastructure for sports or culture. We wanted to get our youth off the streets, so we built the first stadium, the first peace park, the first enclosed performance hall. We want to concentrate on culture, music and sports to bring normal life and moderation to our people.”
I ask the mayor why the local population cannot peacefully coexist with the Jewish settlers.
“We are ready to coexist with normal people”, he replies, “Normal people, people like Avraham Burg, former Speaker of the Knesset whose mother was a Hebronite, and was saved by an Arab family during the 1929 Hebron massacre. He has a home here and we have no problem with that.
But these settlers are fanatic, they are not normal people. They are not Hebronites, they are either from Brooklyn or from Russia. They are economic settlers who receive lots of money and incentives from the Israeli government. The United States even allows 501(c)3 status for agencies to raise funds to build new Jewish settlements in the occupied territories.”
On Hebron’s economic condition, he has this to say:
“In Hebron, we face 33% unemployment, and have 3 universities producing more than 500 IT and engineering graduates annually, for whom we have no jobs.
We need foreign investment but foreign investment needs political stability and free movement of people and goods, things we cannot provide. People’s movement is severely restricted. Hundreds of people die at checkpoints with heart attacks, hundreds of women at checkpoints give birth in private cars. There are not enough hospitals to serve the population.”
Daniel asks the mayor what he thinks about the announcement that a fountain in Ramallah will be named after a suicide bomber.
Frustration is evident in his voice as the mayor says, “Don’t get all stirred up over these small inflammatory acts. Dr. Goldstein’s grave is a shrine too. Hundreds of people visit Baruch Goldstein’s tomb every year and regards him as a hero.”
I inquire about his views on the 1929 massacre of 67 Jews in Hebron during the British Mandate period.
Mayor Osaily replies, “ It was instigated by a British agent who incited the Arabs to violence by false rumors that Jews were massacring Arabs in Jerusalem and seizing control of Muslim holy places.”
He points out that during the massacre, a majority of the Jews (over 400) were saved from the mob by their Arab neighbors.
Little boy on a Hebron street. He was afraid and did not accept the small gifts we tried to give him
Boys returning from school
We saw a lot of small children standing or playing in the streets
Bathroom queue at the Hebron Rehabilitation Center
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