The busy streets of the Palestinian-controlled part of Hebron I've just been to Al Khalīl, or Hebron as it is more commonly known. Hebron is the home of the Cave of the Patriarchs , burial site of Abraham - the ancestor of all three monotheistic faiths. For many people, Hebron is as holy as Jerusalem. Maybe even more so.
Thus, there are religious Israeli settlers in and around the city. The most fanatic ones live in the Old City. This area is under complete Israeli control. It is scattered with military posts and checkpoints, and certain streets are forbidden for Palestinians to use. During our visit, on Saturday, there were several soldiers on every street corner to 'protect' the settlers walking to the synagogue (you cannot drive on Shabbat - the Jewish day of rest). I find this rather bizarre seeing as it is the settlers who are extremely hostile and violent, and not to forget, heavily armed with automatic weapons.
About 500 settlers are allowed to constrict and terrorize a Palestinian population of 40 000. The military and police just observe and hardly ever intervene. Some Israelis I have met claim that the soldiers and policemen in Hebron are scared of the settlers too. Stone throwing and verbal abuse are common occurences for the Palestinians in this area.
It breaks my ice queen heart to see the fear that the Palestinian kids in the Old City harbour for teenage settlers.
Message from the settlers on a Palestinian gate
The raison d'etre for some of the settlements in the Old City
A confrontation between a Palestinian and teenage settlers.
Don't forget your automatic weapon when out jogging... On the former main road in the Israeli-controlled part of the city, the so-called "Ghost Town"
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