Hebron: A city divided

Yesterday we went to Hebron, the largest city in the West Bank and the only one in which settlements have been built in the heart of the city. Hebron is important to both Islam and Judaism because Abraham is thought to have been buried there. For the Jewish faith, Abraham is extremely important as he is one of the three patriarchs, or founders of Judaism. The other 2 Patriarchs, Isaac and Israel are also his sons. For Muslims he is significant as another of his sons, Ishmael, is regarded as the ancestor of the Arabs and Abraham is considered another link in the chain of prophets cultivating in Mohammed.

The future of Palestine is always uncertain but for Hebron there is a heightened sense of urgency to stop the occupation.  Located in the south of the West Bank, Hebron was separated into two parts through the OSLO accords: H1 and H2. H1 is controlled by the Palestinian Authority, while H2 is under Israeli military control. The 30'000 Palestinians and 700 Israeli settlers, who are guarded by 2000 soldiers, who live in H2 have a combustible relationship. The overwhelming impact of Israeli security measures to protect the Jewish community is resulting in the declination of Palestinian population in H2.

BTSelem map of H2

What makes Hebron so different from any other city is the presence of settlers and soldiers within the city. As we walk through the city their presence is clear and you are constantly being watched either by cameras or soldiers visible on the roofs. In addition to the security provided to settlements by the IDF we also witnessed armed settlers wandering the streets. If you look overhead when walking through Hebron's old city you can see a makeshift chicken wire net protecting the shopkeepers and shoppers from objectives thrown at them from above.

As internationals we are allowed to enter the settlements, provided we have our passport. The entrance is on Shuhada Street, which used to be the main street in Hebron but now all Palestinian shopkeepers have been evicted and the area is now a ghost town. What was once a busy thoroughfare has now been completely shut down to provide a security buffer-zone. It is eerie walking around the settlement as you witness many more soldiers than you do settlers. 

Shuhada Street

Violence continues to occur on both sides of the conflict; recently an Israeli soldier was killed by a Palestinian civilian during a shoot-out near the Tomb of Abraham. However the balance of favour is clearly on Israel's side with an army to protect some 700 settlers, while Palestinians are offered very little protection. Speaking to a Palestinian shopkeeper he reflected the views of many Palestinians; that they wanted nothing more than to live in peace and to be treated with dignity.

Shuhada street was once the main shopping street in Hebron

Hebron is an emotionally overwhelming place to visit and will certainly leave a mark on me. Nowhere else encapsulates so vividly the consequences the ongoing occupation has on Palestinians. My words on here cannot possibly do justice to even half the stories we heard as we visited the city. For anyone coming to Palestine, Hebron is a must visit. I will not forget visiting this place for a long time and some of what I saw truly shocked me.

More than 500,000 Settlers currently live in the West Bank, in settlements that are considered illegal by the UN, EU, ICRC and ICJ.  The ongoing construction of settlements recently led to US Secretary of State John Kerry calling them illegitimate.