We went to Hebron. The main purpose was to console the family of our friend Abed. He died unexpectedly of cardiac arrest the week before.

On the way on Route 60, many IDF jeeps passed by. Further along the road near Samu’ and on the hill overlooking Qilqis, a soldier in a cement post and an Israeli flag waving.

At the entrance to Bani Naim, there was once again a manned position with 3 soldiers and an Israeli flag.

A different tension is felt.

In  Hebron

The city is full of placards and posters about its status and importance to the people of Israel are pasted on every wall and fence.

We arrived at the shop of Abed which faces the Muslim entrance to the Cave of the Patriarchs.

Sad and strange to see the shop without his smiling face and his hearty welcome. Other people opened it this morning for the first time since he died.

I went to his family flat above the store. At home his wife sat with one granddaughter. We managed almost without speaking but we understood each other. In the absence of any knowledge of a common language, the language of the heart and the body speaks. He just wanted to live  with the Israelis without anger and without hatred despite his frequent encounters with the soldiers and settlers.

(Muhammed could not go in to translate because the widow sat alone with a man to accompany her).

We also decided to re-enter the Kafisha neighborhood and to go to our regular grocery store where there was a murderous attack about two months ago.

Now Golani brigade is in Hebron.

At the yellow checkpoint next to the turn to the road that goes up to the Givat HaAvot neighborhood and the house of Itamar Ben Gvir we found  the soldiers very stressed. It seems that they were instructed to expect trouble.  

“Why  do you want to enter where it is dangerous especially for  you, lady.”

I explain to them that the grocery store and the surrounding area are very familiar to us and we visit it a lot. We convinced them that we were just going to say hello to our friend at the grocery store.

Well, they allowed us to pass.  When we arrived, I immediately entered the grocery store. Next to the pillbox, which has been manned ever since and is secured, the soldiers are standing outside. As soon as they saw us, they ran to the entrance of the grocery store.

Muhammad tells me that they would question him about who we are and that they would say that they have to  guard me.

Hurry up, he says, the soldiers are busy guarding you.

Well, then I quickly bought something,and  said hello to Mohammed who works in the store and I left.

The soldiers smile with relief and kept close  to the car until we moved off.

I greeted them and thanked them for looking after me.

The preparations  in the whole city are different either because there is a future fear of what is or because like many times here with the army, we are preparing for what has been. The vigilance is very noticeable in the whole area.