The Israeli and international medias are abuzz with reports out of Hebron regarding yesterday’s forced removal of two Jewish families from an old wholesale market building they took over outside of the tiny defined Jewish area of the biblical town.
Nearly every report I have read makes it sound as though these families invaded an active market and evicted the poor Arabs who were trying to do business there. The truth, however, is that this particular market has been abandoned for over 13 years. The Jewish families in question moved into an empty building adjacent to the present-day Avraham Aveinu neighborhood.
Nor is it the first time the Hebron Jewish community has attempted to occupy the market. Several Jewish families moved into the building in 2004, only to be forcibly removed by the government of Ariel Sharon.
Why do these Jews keep trying to take up residence in what is dilapidated and probably very unsanitary old building? Because it belongs to them. And that is the other part of the story that the mainstream media is ignoring.
The land under that market was part of the original Avraham Aveinu neighborhood, an area of Hebron that had been home to Jews from ancient times right up until 1929, when Hebron’s Arabs massacred many of the neighborhood’s residents in the most brutal manner.
Most are aware that the British rulers of the area then evacuated the rest of Hebron’s Jews “for their own safety,” but failed to prevent the town’s Arabs from taking over their property. These properties were originally Jewish owned, and were stolen by the Arabs after they had violently removed the Jews from their midst.
But leave it those arrogant Arab criminals to not bother to alter the property registrations, secure in the knowledge that the international community would always take their side against the Jews (remember, this was right before the start of the Nazi Holocaust, when global hatred of the Jews was at a peak).
Amazingly, the property in this part of Hebron was still registered to its original Jewish owners when Jordan illegally occupied the area in 1948. And Jordan didn’t bother to change the records, either! The Jordanians simply listed the property under the Custodian for Enemy Property, a label Israel shockingly continues to apply to the real estate in question.
Leave it to the media to omit the most important portions of historical context surrounding such a story.
For more information on the 1929 massacre of Hebron’s ancient Jewish community, visit the website of the reconstituted Hebron Jewish Community.
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6 comments so far ↓
1 chaim moshe bergstein // Aug 9, 2007 at 4:48 am
isn’t it clear that this parallels the Torah portion. behold i place before you a blessing and a curse.Now why would G-D give us a blessing and a curse? Is that what the merciful creator is all about?
the answer is that we will receive Eretz Yisroel the Holy Land. to those who believe in the Torah every part of this dillapidated land is a Blessing. to those who did not receive the Torah with faith,it has become a curse to live in the Land of our Fathers, especially when there are so many arabs to contend with!
2 Betsy Nepon // Aug 9, 2007 at 10:58 am
I would love to see some of the many facts of the history of the area reach the well-meaning people who unfairly condemn Israel with such a broad brush!
On the other hand, I respectfully submit that there have always been and continue to be many ethical and peaceful Arabs.
3 peter // Aug 9, 2007 at 5:18 pm
Chaim Moshe Bergstein,
I could not agree with you more… great post.
4 Pas soumis, pas colonisé » Hebron: Mise à jour // Aug 11, 2007 at 3:42 am
[…] Selon Zionist.com: …this particular market has been abandoned for over 13 years. The Jewish families in question moved into an empty building adjacent to the present-day Avraham Aveinu neighborhood. Nor is it the first time the Hebron Jewish community has attempted to occupy the market. Several Jewish families moved into the building in 2004, only to be forcibly removed by the government of Ariel Sharon. […]
5 Nerah // Aug 16, 2007 at 10:25 am
thanks Ryan for the great link to Hebron website. This just breaks my heart! I can’t imagine being the IDF and expelling these people. I understand the protest, Do you know of what has happened to the IDF who refused? Are they in jail?
Chaim Moshe,
just a side note:
So if the church has “replaced Israel” then if they don’t bless Israel they are cursing themselves? lol Ironic isn’t it.
6 Ryan // Aug 16, 2007 at 10:31 am
Nerah, the handful of soldiers who were deemed to be at the center of the refusal were jailed for a month or so, and will be demoted to non-combat positions.
But reports that came out following the uprooting of these families indicated that a lot more soldiers questioned and refused the orders than the number first reported. It was unclear what will happen to them exactly, but the stage is set for a possible mutiny if Olmert tries to carry out a widespread evacuation.
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