Hebron



Unrelated note, what is up
with this picutre?

For my first day off, I took a walk into the old city of Hebron. Hebron is unique in that it is the only area in Israel and the occupied territories to have a settlement in a major city. Hebron is divided into two areas, H1 (under Palestinian control) and H2 (the Israeli settlement.)

Guard tower at the separation
between H1 and H2

As a Red Cross/Red Cresent volunteer, I have made it a goal not to become involved in the politics of the situation. Although I have my own beliefs, I am not here as a protestor to to serve some agenda, at least I am trying not to. It is hard when everyone wants to talk to me about politics, or you walk around in Hebron.

I am willing to consider arguements about Israel's right to be here and it's founding, etc etc, but do firmly beleve that the settlements are wrong. Supported and populated mostly by the most extremist populations, it is generally believed that they serve simply to increase the land holdings of areas that are not under Palestinian control. They are akin to people moving into the “Green Zone” of Iraq, and are not only agaist international law, they are against Israeli law as well. They are tolerated in this country for the same reason that the US tolerates things like Abu Ghraib and Gitmo-- it is thought that they are necessary.

Hebron old city market, with the covered to catch garbage.
Can you imagine living here?

A lock to a shop soldered shut

In the case of the settlements in Hebron, they have causes the old city and it's holy site – Ibrahimi Mosque-- to become heavily fortified by Israeli solders. Lonely Planet states that there are 4000 soldiers to protect the 500 settlers (no, that isn't a typo, in fact I just looked itup again to be sure.) After eeing the rooftop lookout points and walking through three checkpoints to get to the mosque, I did not find this hard to believe. The settlement houses are across a small alley from the Palestinian houses, and the Palestinians have had to put webbing over the roads as the settlers will throw trash out the window. In one house that I visited, my host said that he had to keep his windows closed and locked lest his neighbors from across the way toss rocks and Maltov cocktails into his home. (I did not believe him about the Maltov cocktail part until he showed me a area that had been bombed by such a concoction.) He also showed me that many shops were forcefully closed and their doors welded shut to prevent the re-opening of the shops. The shops were too close to the settlements (often, they were in the first floor of the building) and so they were taken away. Resisters were arrested.



The old city

Hebron's recent history includes a massacure in the Ibrahimi Mosque, were a settler (who happened to be a doctor) walked in and killed 29 men and boys while they prayed, injuring another 200. This is most of the reason for the security to get into the Mosque. After walking through two remote controlled locked doors and being searched by two guards, I could start to feel the irritation. My irritation reached its peak at the last Israeli solder who searched me. She was blonde with an American accent, and when she asked me: “Where are you from?” I couldn't help but answer “America. And you?” She gave me a dirty look and let me pass.  So much for not getting involved politically.

Praying at the tomb of Abraham