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Hebron Settlers
by
Amanda White
Hebron
- 435 Israelis are nestled within the city limits of Hebron in
co-habitation with approximately 180,00 Palestinians. The settlers are
"guarded" by approximately 1,500 to 2,000 Israeli soldiers costing Israel
millions of dollars in operations cost; the ratio is 1 settler to 4
soldiers guarding the post. A World War II style banner ads flash the
internet notifying citizens that they can make home-baked goods and
baskets to be delivered to the solders on duty in the "front line"
anywhere in the West Bank in support of the "war". Tanks surround the city
of Hebron, which is divided into areas called H-1 and H-2. Israel has
control over security and public order in area H-2 where 20,000
Palestinians and 200 settlers reside.
Since the beginning of the
Intifada in September 2001, all entrances have been closed by concrete
blocks and checkpoints completely isolating H-1 from the surrounding
villages and H-2. The Palestinians who live in H-1 have been living under
the worse conditions with curfews imposed on a regular basis and the
highest amounts of soldiers roaming the streets since the beginning of the
Intifada. As of late, Israel has expanded the curfew onto the entire city
of Hebron under curfew. During curfew, settlers and soldiers are allowed
to roam the streets, shop and enjoy the sunshine flaunting their presence
to the "unseen" local community. Palestinian children have a system to
play in the streets; they rotate watch and play from view of the
aggressors. Children have learned to ignore the sound of gunshots that
perpetrate the city and continue to "role" play, Palestinian and settler
games.
Curfew was imposed during a
funeral for Leibowitz that marched down the Hebron streets yesterday.
Narreal Jum Jum, 14, was looking out of the 2nd story window
inside her isolated, end of the culd-a-sac style road, when settlers
approached the area. Settlers rampaged the city randomly shooting at the
homes in the area killing Narreal and wounding 2 of her brothers. The
settlers were angry yesterday because of the deaths of three family
members killed by a Palestinian ambush and Leibowitz was one of them. Not
one Palestinian from Hebron was accused of being involved with the ambush,
but the settlers dazzled their settlement aggression on the local
community. It is not unusual for aggressions being distributed towards the
Hebron Palestinians when something happens anywhere in the West Bank from
the settlers in Hebron. These settlers have the worse reputation within
both the Palestinian and Israeli communities. Hebron settlers are a focal
point for many conversations in both communities with the consensus of
shaking ones head from left to right and making a mouthed clicking sound
with the tongue clicking against the roof of the mouth. This is a cultural
way of saying, "It is really bad" or "I don't agree", basically the
clicking sound occurs when words cannot describe ones feeling on the
subject.
Reports are all too common of
Hebron settlers entering into a Palestinians home to smash the furniture
and knock things over or start raging fires inside of the homes. When this
happens, it is typical that the soldiers will impose a curfew on the
Palestinians, "For their (the Palestinians) security" as one soldier
explained. Journalist risk the destruction of their expensive equipment,
stone throwing and guns being pointed at them if they dare to enter into
the area to cover a story. Not only is the aggression perpetrated by the
local settler adult community, but also by the younger generation of
children and women. "The kids were throwing stones at me while calling me
a dog and a cow, while the mothers stood by and watched. Then, the men and
teenagers started coming over waving their guns at me. I just started to
run away from them and get out of there.", said a reporter from Italy.
The Christian Peacemaker Team
(CPT) resides in the mist of all the trouble hoping to act as a mediator
between the settlers, Palestinians and soldiers by their presence. One
incident was reported by a volunteer, (who is not brainwashed with
Right-winged Palestinian propaganda) that the soldiers were detaining 5
extended families (Palestinians) from a neighborhood keeping the women in
one home and the men in the other home overnight. One of the CPT members
went over to see if she could help and the soldiers let the families go.
"There was no reason for them to do that, the family was minding their own
business and not doing a thing. These things are normal for the
Palestinians here they have to live through this stuff all of the time."
She feels that their presence helps but it isn't enough to stop the
violence that occurs in Hebron, it only "lightens the load if one is lucky
enough."
Water has not been running at
full force for the last 30 days with a random 15-day water turn-on in
different neighborhoods. "The water pressure is low and the homes in the 2nd
and 3rd floors cannot receive the water without asking the
people on the 1st floor to let them pump it up." Curfews do not
help the situation because if the curfew is on when it is your turn to get
water you cannot go out and arrange receiving it. There is not a food
shortage however, "The poorest of the poor cannot get to the Abraham
mosque where they serve food everyday at noon during a curfew" They cannot
afford to purchase their own food and this is the only meal they receive,
sometimes they go for days without eating. These are the residents who
cannot work and receive no income to provide for their families. "The
shops are closed, no one can buy anything and no one can leave to find
work." mumbles a disgruntled Palestinian. "Abraham mosque is out of food
at the moment because they cannot have food delivered to them during the
closures.", CPT'er volunteer reports.
Meanwhile, Hebron settlers
continue with life "as normal" developing web sites that encourage others
to take part in their community with beautiful photos of their new
apartment complex built in the city center. The site Shares stories,
legends, history and lists local events. Smiling settler faces and waving
Israeli flags encompass the streets of their local counterparts who watch
outside of their windows who remember the days when they themselves had
freedom.
Source:
by courtesy & © 2002
Amanda White
by the same author:
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