Hebron, South Hebron Hills, Mon 19.12.11, Morning
Translator: Charles K.
In the midst of the disturbing silence we again examined the path between the apartheid stairs to the Cordova School to the neighborhood of the Tel Rumeida settlers, where a sign is posted restricting its use to Jews.
The soldiers are quiet today.
Suddenly a settler appears, coming down the road. He pastes a poster on the decorated concrete wall which attempts to hide Hebron, the lively city at the foot of the hill. The poster recounts the injustice committed by the government against the settlers by limiting the Jewish settlement in the Hebron, compared to the excessive rights granted to the Palestinians. The soldier watching him talks on the phone about what the settler is doing. In response to my question, the soldier says he’s obligated to report any such activity no matter who does it, and he’s checking to see whether the man is entitled to paste up the poster. We learned something.
The unfortunate Cossack pastes up a second poster, this time on Shuhada Street, not far from Gross Square. It explains why the adjoining shop had been closed. We kept our eye on this energetic man. He’d already reached the Cave of the Patriarchs and was preparing to paste up another poster containing the settlers’ pearls of wisdom. To our surprise, Border Police soldiers prohibit him from doing so. The order “came down,” arriving after he’d pasted the two previous posters.
We met Yehuda Shaul, from “Breaking the Silence,” who had come to show some VIP around. We suggested he go look at the new posters.
The poor settlers have to convince people that their actions are justified. They seem to feel they’re now really under attack.
A cup of tea with ‘Abed revives us somewhat and we leave this city.
We returned via Highway 317 and reached the Metzudat Yehuda checkpoint. Merchandise crosses here, a few Jews and some Palestinian families living near Beit Yatir. We waited in vain for the pupils. Today, as it happened, they finish very late, and we can’t wait. But once again we were exposed to the settlers’ behavior: “Who are you? What are you doing here?,” asks a settler passing by who stops next to us. “Why should we answer you?” “I wanted to invite you for coffee.” How nice; really, really sweet! He waves goodbye and drives on. Who among us would dare ask a passer-by at the entrance to our town what he’s up to?! The lords of the land are convinced it’s their right and their duty.
Meanwhile, cars go by. The Jews are stopped, greeted and then drive on.
A Palestinian family arrives; since it’s one of the few permitted to cross into Israel, they’re certainly known to the soldiers. They’re asked for ID cards, and their vehicle is inspected.
Hebron
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According to Wye Plantation Accords (1997), Hebron is divided in two: H1 is under Palestinian Authority control, H2 is under Israeli control. In Hebron there are 170,000 Palestinian citizens, 60,000 of them in H2. Between the two areas are permanent checkpoints, manned at all hours, preventing Palestinian movement between them and controlling passage of permit holders such as teachers and schoolchildren. Some 800 Jews live in Avraham Avinu Quarter and Tel Rumeida, on Givat HaAvot and in the wholesale market.
Checkpoints observed in H2:
- Bet Hameriva CP- manned with a pillbox
- Kapisha quarter CP (the northern side of Zion axis) - manned with a pillbox
- The 160 turn CP (the southern side of Zion axis) - manned with a pillbox
- Avraham Avinu quarter - watch station
- The pharmacy CP - checking inside a caravan with a magnometer
- Tarpat (1929) CP - checking inside a caravan with a magnometer
- Tel Rumeida CP - guarding station
- Beit Hadassah CP - guarding station
Three checkpoints around the Tomb of the Patriarchs
Leah ShakdielApr-8-2025Hebron: A sign advertising a tempting real estate
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South Hebron Hills
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South Hebron Hills
South Hebron Hills is a large area in the West Bank's southern part.
Yatta is a major city in this area: right in the border zone between the fertile region of Hebron and its surroundings and the desert of the Hebron Hills. Yatta has about 64,000 inhabitants.
The surrounding villages are called Masafer Yatta (Yatta's daughter villages). Their inhabitants subsist on livestock and agriculture. Agriculture is possible only in small plots, especially near streams. Most of the area consists of rocky terraces.Since the beginning of the 1980s, many settlements have been established on the agricultural land cultivated by the Palestinians in the South Hebron Hills region: Carmel, Maon, Susia, Masadot Yehuda, Othniel, and more. Since the settlements were established and Palestinians cultivation areas have been reduced; the residents of the South Hebron Hills have been suffering from harassment by the settlers. Attempts to evict and demolish houses have continued, along with withholding water and electricity. The military and police usually refrain from intervening in violent incidents between settlers and Palestinians do not enforce the law when it comes to the investigation of extensive violent Jewish settlers. The harassment in the South Hebron Hills includes attacking and attempting to burn residential tents, harassing dogs, harming herds, and preventing access to pastures.
There are several checkpoints in the South Hebron Hills, on Routes 317 and 60. In most of them, no military presence is apparent, but rather an array of pillboxes monitor the villages. Roadblocks are frequently set up according to the settlers and the army's needs. These are located at the Zif Junction, the Dura-al Fawwar crossing, and the Sheep Junction at the southern entrance to Hebron.
Updated April 2022
Muhammad D.May-13-2025Susiya - at Ahmad and Halima Nawaja'a
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