Hebron, a city mentioned in the book of Genesis, is still a revered and ancient holy site for the three Abrahamic religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The First Testament patriarchs and matriarchs are believed to be buried there - Sarah, Abraham, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob and Leah.

One would hope that this city in the Occupied West Bank, Palestine, would be a place of peace and harmony, respect and inclusion. The Israeli journalist, Gideon Levy, told a different story: 

"If you want to know what callousness is, if you want to know what racism is, if you want to know what evil is, if you want to know what injustice is and if you want to know what malice looks like, Hebron … is the best place on earth to find out."

I first heard about today's Hebron from a Quaker friend, Christina Gibb, who shared her experiences as a Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) volunteer in Hebron. Christina and her colleagues had been responsible for accompanying Palestinian children on their way to and from school. The CPTers hoped that their presence in their "uniform" - red baseball caps - would discourage Zionist settlers from attacking the children.

The Christian Peacemaker Team was founded in 1984 by three churches known for their peace efforts - Mennonite, Church of the Brethren and Quaker. The Team goes only to where local people have requested their presence. The CPTers practise nonviolence, bear witness to the violence they see and sometimes try to prevent violence by "getting in the way". 

Visit to Hebron

Martin and I made our first of four visits to Israel and the West Bank in 2009. We went on an "alternative" tour organised by the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) meeting Palestinian, as well as Israeli, human rights activists. 

Hebron, el Khalil in Arabic, was included in the tour. It is a city of over 215,000 Palestinians and between 500-850 Jewish "settlers". The latter are guarded by a large number of Israeli Defence Force (IDF) soldiers. Most West Bank "settlements" are on the hilltops and separated from Palestinian villages. In Hebron the settlers live right in the middle of the old city. This happened in 1968 when a group of religious extremist Zionists posing as Swiss tourists rented the main hotel overlooking the Palestinian souk (market) of small shops and open stalls. They then refused to leave.

As visitors we were aghast when walking down the narrow street in the middle of the stalls, to see the wire mesh erected overhead by stallholders to protect themselves from objects tossed down by the Zionists. 

We visited the 1000 year old Ibrahimi Mosque, the fourth holiest site in Islam. Our Hebron guide, Hashem al Azzeh, explained the various features including the historic carved wooden minbar (pulpit). To be precise, we visited only a part  of the original mosque.

During Ramadan, 25 February 1994, Baruch Goldstein, an American-Jewish settler from Brooklyn, New York, walked into the Ibrahimi Mosque and open fired on the men and boys at prayer. He killed 29 and injured dozens more before he was attacked and beaten to death. Goldstein was a member of the Jewish Defence League (JDL), founded by Meir Kahane, and considered by the FBI to be a terrorist group. Goldstein is revered as a hero by the extremist JDL and his grave is their pilgrimage site.

After the massacre the Israelis punished the Palestinians by expelling them from 60 per cent of the Mosque and turning that part into a Jewish synagogue. They also blocked Palestinians from entering the then busy street, Shuhada Street. Palestinians are still not allowed to set foot in Shuhada Street.

Our guide, Hashem, invited us to his house. We had to struggle up the  rocky hillside because the road to his house had been taken over by settlers who were determined to drive him out. He explained that he could never leave his house unattended in case the settlers invaded and took it over. So either he or his wife had to be in the house at all times.

Later Visits

Martin and I have made three further trips to Israel and the West Bank. We met up again with Hashem in Hebron and became friends with him and his artist wife. Hashem was a trained medical doctor and a community leader.

Each time we returned it was obvious that the oppression had increased. The heavily armed settlers were becoming bolder and more vicious. And the IDF soldiers were there to protect the Israeli settlers and turned a blind eye to violence against Palestinians.

Present Situation

We learned recently that the IDF no longer permits the ICAHD to take visitors to Hebron, which is cordoned off, under siege. It is a very ugly situation. 

In reality the Israeli regime, the IDF and the police are at war with the local Palestinian population. On their daily walk to and from school, Palestinian children have to endure such dangers as stoning, tear gas, stun grenades, firing from occupied rooftops, skunk water and rubber-coated steel bullets. No wonder they arrive at school fearful, anxious and exhausted.

Jeff Halper, of the ICAHD, explained that the settlers in and around Hebron are led by extremely fundamentalist Rabbis who not only justify violence against the Palestinians but encourage it. They base their teaching narrowly on the Torah and the book of Joshua and deliberately ignore the challenges of the Prophets. And because the present Israeli government is the most right-wing ever, there is no relief in sight for the Palestinians from the government.

Sadly our friend Hashem al Assez died earlier this year from excessive tear gas inhalation.

Poor Hebron - it is not a "holy" site.