28 feb 2015
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Friday afternoon violently attacked an anti-settlement march staged by the "youth against settlement" group and foreign activists to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre.
The Palestinian Information Center (PIC) reporter in the city said that Israeli soldiers intensively used live and rubber bullets and tear gas grenades to suppress the rally, causing many participants to suffer injuries and suffocate.
According to the reporter, the protesters marched following the Friday prayers from al-Sheikh neighborhood to al-Shuhadaa area in the central district of al-Khalil, chanting slogans and carrying banners denouncing the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre and Israel's aggressive practices in the city.
He added that the troops' use of excessive force triggered confrontations in different neighborhoods of the city.
The Ibrahim Mosque massacre happened on February 25, 1994 when US-born Israeli army officer Baruch Goldstein, who lived in the Kiryat Arba settlement on the outskirts of the city, walked into the Ibrahimi Mosque in al-Khalil armed with an assault rifle, and as Muslim worshipers were praying, he embarked on opening a barrage of fire, killing 29 Palestinians and wounding more than a hundred before other survivors overpowered him and beat him to death.
The 29 people killed inside the Mosque were not the only "martyrs" that day because many others were either killed or wounded by Israeli soldiers over the course of the day during protests outside the Mosque and at al-Khalil's Ahli hospital as well as at the local cemetery while the victims were being buried.
Al-Shuhadaa street, near the Ibrahim Mosque, has been a flash-point since the incident.
The street is lined with small closed stores whose owners used to live upstairs and was once among the busiest market streets in the city.
At the time, the Israeli occupation army, in response to the killing of Goldstein, shut down al-Shuhadaa street and welded the doors of all homes and stores there.
By the time of the second intifada in 2000, the army finished turning the entire street into a ghost street on which no Palestinian was permitted to set foot. Only Jewish settlers and foreign tourists are allowed to come and go along the road, to snap photos of the ethnically-cleansed area and make their way to the settlement outposts, Beit Hadassah, Beit Romano, and Avraham Avinu.
4 Palestinians, 1 Female German Demonstrator Shot w/Live Ammunition at “Open Shuhada Street” Protest
On February 27 in occupied Al-Khalil (Hebron), Israeli forces fired live ammunition towards nonviolent protesters participating in the annual Open Shuhada Street demonstration, injuring five including four Palestinian activists, one of them 17 years old, and one German citizen.
Palestinian children holding signs, posing before the march began
More were also injured by rubber-coated steel bullets and stun grenades as soldiers and Border Police blocked the roads leading towards Shuhada Street and attacked the protesters.
Close to a thousand Palestinians, accompanied by Israeli and international supporters, marched towards one of the closed entrances to Shuhada Street carrying flags and signs and chanting. They called for the opening of Shuhada Street, whose closure to Palestinians has become a symbol of Israel’s Apartheid system, and for an end to the occupation.
The march was turned back by stun grenades, rubber coated steel bullets and live ammunition fired by the Israeli military. Around twenty demonstrators were injured in total; Hebron Hospital reported that at least six were admitted and two required surgery. One Palestinian activist, Hijazi Ebedo, 25, was arrested at the demonstration; all he had been doing was chanting and holding a sign.
Issa Amro, coordinator and co-founder of Youth Against Settlements (YAS) stated: “The protest, which was joined by groups from all over Palestine, marked the twenty-first anniversary of the Ibrahimi Mosque Massacre. Israeli occupying forces shot live ammunition towards peaceful protesters, which is against international law. The Israeli military should be held accountable in international court for their actions.”
“Julia was standing and filming next to me when suddenly she fell to the ground,” stated Leigh, a Canadian activist who was standing next to Julia when she was shot. Julia, the injured 22-year-old German activist from Berlin, was evacuated to Hebron Hospital where she is being treated for a live gunshot wound which entered and exited her leg.
“The brutality of Israeli forces is unbelievable, it seems like they don’t have a limit,” she stated. “In Palestine I have seen Israeli forces shooting tear gas, stun grenades, rubber and live ammunition at any kind of demonstration that is against the occupation. It doesn’t matter for them if it is peaceful or if there are kids attending. Yesterday I saw the army attack children who had been dancing in the street. Two people were shot with live ammunition in Bil’in. They shot me as I was standing and filming. It seems the soldiers just shoot at any one.”
Israeli military sniper aiming up the road towards the Open Shuhada Street demonstrators The Open Shuhada Street demonstration marks the anniversary of the 1994 Ibrahimi Mosque massacre, when right wing extremist settler Baruch Goldstein murdered 29 Palestinians while they worshipped in the mosque. Following the massacre, Israeli forces shut down Palestinian businesses on Shuhada Street–once a commercial center–and began to implement the policies which would lead to what is now a total closure of the vast majority of the street to Palestinians.
Twenty one years after the massacre, settlers from illegal Israeli settlements use the street freely while Palestinians are assaulted, shot and arrested when they attempt to reach it en masse during the Open Shuhada Street demonstration every year.
The Palestinian Information Center (PIC) reporter in the city said that Israeli soldiers intensively used live and rubber bullets and tear gas grenades to suppress the rally, causing many participants to suffer injuries and suffocate.
According to the reporter, the protesters marched following the Friday prayers from al-Sheikh neighborhood to al-Shuhadaa area in the central district of al-Khalil, chanting slogans and carrying banners denouncing the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre and Israel's aggressive practices in the city.
He added that the troops' use of excessive force triggered confrontations in different neighborhoods of the city.
The Ibrahim Mosque massacre happened on February 25, 1994 when US-born Israeli army officer Baruch Goldstein, who lived in the Kiryat Arba settlement on the outskirts of the city, walked into the Ibrahimi Mosque in al-Khalil armed with an assault rifle, and as Muslim worshipers were praying, he embarked on opening a barrage of fire, killing 29 Palestinians and wounding more than a hundred before other survivors overpowered him and beat him to death.
The 29 people killed inside the Mosque were not the only "martyrs" that day because many others were either killed or wounded by Israeli soldiers over the course of the day during protests outside the Mosque and at al-Khalil's Ahli hospital as well as at the local cemetery while the victims were being buried.
Al-Shuhadaa street, near the Ibrahim Mosque, has been a flash-point since the incident.
The street is lined with small closed stores whose owners used to live upstairs and was once among the busiest market streets in the city.
At the time, the Israeli occupation army, in response to the killing of Goldstein, shut down al-Shuhadaa street and welded the doors of all homes and stores there.
By the time of the second intifada in 2000, the army finished turning the entire street into a ghost street on which no Palestinian was permitted to set foot. Only Jewish settlers and foreign tourists are allowed to come and go along the road, to snap photos of the ethnically-cleansed area and make their way to the settlement outposts, Beit Hadassah, Beit Romano, and Avraham Avinu.
4 Palestinians, 1 Female German Demonstrator Shot w/Live Ammunition at “Open Shuhada Street” Protest
On February 27 in occupied Al-Khalil (Hebron), Israeli forces fired live ammunition towards nonviolent protesters participating in the annual Open Shuhada Street demonstration, injuring five including four Palestinian activists, one of them 17 years old, and one German citizen.
Palestinian children holding signs, posing before the march began
More were also injured by rubber-coated steel bullets and stun grenades as soldiers and Border Police blocked the roads leading towards Shuhada Street and attacked the protesters.
Close to a thousand Palestinians, accompanied by Israeli and international supporters, marched towards one of the closed entrances to Shuhada Street carrying flags and signs and chanting. They called for the opening of Shuhada Street, whose closure to Palestinians has become a symbol of Israel’s Apartheid system, and for an end to the occupation.
The march was turned back by stun grenades, rubber coated steel bullets and live ammunition fired by the Israeli military. Around twenty demonstrators were injured in total; Hebron Hospital reported that at least six were admitted and two required surgery. One Palestinian activist, Hijazi Ebedo, 25, was arrested at the demonstration; all he had been doing was chanting and holding a sign.
Issa Amro, coordinator and co-founder of Youth Against Settlements (YAS) stated: “The protest, which was joined by groups from all over Palestine, marked the twenty-first anniversary of the Ibrahimi Mosque Massacre. Israeli occupying forces shot live ammunition towards peaceful protesters, which is against international law. The Israeli military should be held accountable in international court for their actions.”
“Julia was standing and filming next to me when suddenly she fell to the ground,” stated Leigh, a Canadian activist who was standing next to Julia when she was shot. Julia, the injured 22-year-old German activist from Berlin, was evacuated to Hebron Hospital where she is being treated for a live gunshot wound which entered and exited her leg.
“The brutality of Israeli forces is unbelievable, it seems like they don’t have a limit,” she stated. “In Palestine I have seen Israeli forces shooting tear gas, stun grenades, rubber and live ammunition at any kind of demonstration that is against the occupation. It doesn’t matter for them if it is peaceful or if there are kids attending. Yesterday I saw the army attack children who had been dancing in the street. Two people were shot with live ammunition in Bil’in. They shot me as I was standing and filming. It seems the soldiers just shoot at any one.”
Israeli military sniper aiming up the road towards the Open Shuhada Street demonstrators The Open Shuhada Street demonstration marks the anniversary of the 1994 Ibrahimi Mosque massacre, when right wing extremist settler Baruch Goldstein murdered 29 Palestinians while they worshipped in the mosque. Following the massacre, Israeli forces shut down Palestinian businesses on Shuhada Street–once a commercial center–and began to implement the policies which would lead to what is now a total closure of the vast majority of the street to Palestinians.
Twenty one years after the massacre, settlers from illegal Israeli settlements use the street freely while Palestinians are assaulted, shot and arrested when they attempt to reach it en masse during the Open Shuhada Street demonstration every year.
26 feb 2015
Hundreds of Palestinians marked, Wednesday, the 21st anniversary of the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre that led to the death of 29 Palestinians, and the injury of around 200.
Among the victims were many children and elderly; some of the wounded suffered permanent disabilities.
The Palestinians in the city started the ceremony with prayers in the mosque, and demanded protection to them, homes and property, and their holy sites.
They said Israeli fanatics, illegally living in the city, are ongoing with their violations and assaults, while enjoying protection from the army.
The massacres was carried out by American-born Baruch Goldstein, who was also a physician; Israel claimed he was “mentally unstable”.
‘Adel Edris, one of the survivors of the attack, told the Wattan News Agency that, as the Muslim worshipers were kneeling, they heard dozens of rounds of live ammunition fired towards them from a gunman who was standing all the way behind them.
“The physician, who was also an army officer, entered through the ‘Ishaqiyya Gate’ of the Ibrahim Mosque, and started shooting,” Edris said, “My brother, Salim, was killed, my other brother and many relatives were injured.”
The Khatib of the al-Ibrahimi Mosque Hatem al-Bakri said that, after the massacre, Israel used the situation to divide the mosque, and emptied all nearby Palestinian homes after forcing the families out, so that it can bring more Israeli colonizers to replace the Palestinians.
“Israel also deliberately shut down around 3000 stores after the massacre,” he added, “It divided the mosque, has been trying to keep us out, and still intends to fully control it.”
Among the victims were many children and elderly; some of the wounded suffered permanent disabilities.
The Palestinians in the city started the ceremony with prayers in the mosque, and demanded protection to them, homes and property, and their holy sites.
They said Israeli fanatics, illegally living in the city, are ongoing with their violations and assaults, while enjoying protection from the army.
The massacres was carried out by American-born Baruch Goldstein, who was also a physician; Israel claimed he was “mentally unstable”.
‘Adel Edris, one of the survivors of the attack, told the Wattan News Agency that, as the Muslim worshipers were kneeling, they heard dozens of rounds of live ammunition fired towards them from a gunman who was standing all the way behind them.
“The physician, who was also an army officer, entered through the ‘Ishaqiyya Gate’ of the Ibrahim Mosque, and started shooting,” Edris said, “My brother, Salim, was killed, my other brother and many relatives were injured.”
The Khatib of the al-Ibrahimi Mosque Hatem al-Bakri said that, after the massacre, Israel used the situation to divide the mosque, and emptied all nearby Palestinian homes after forcing the families out, so that it can bring more Israeli colonizers to replace the Palestinians.
“Israel also deliberately shut down around 3000 stores after the massacre,” he added, “It divided the mosque, has been trying to keep us out, and still intends to fully control it.”
25 feb 2015
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On the 24th of February in occupied Al-Khalil (Hebron), Israeli forces opened fire on dancing Palestinian youth, firing tear gas and throwing stun grenades at group of young children performing a traditional Palestinian dance as a form of protest in front of Shuhada checkpoint.
The fifteen young dancers, Palestinian girls and boys between the ages of six and twelve, gathered to perform dabke, a traditional Palestinian dance, in an event organized by local Palestinian activist group Youth Against Settlements. They staged their dance on the open street in Bab Al-Zawiye (in the H1 – officially Palestinian Authority-controlled – part of Hebron) near Shuhada checkpoint, as part of a week of actions planned by Palestinian organizers around the annual Open Shuhada Street campaign. The children began performing under heavy military surveillance, as at least thirteen soldiers occupied roofs surrounding the entrance to the checkpoint. Even before the demonstration had begun, Israeli forces closed Shuhada checkpoint to Palestinian men, only allowing a few women through. Shuhada checkpoint controls the main access between Bab Al-Zawiye and the the H2 (fully Israeli-controlled) neighborhood of Tel Rumeida. On the H2 side, the checkpoint faces Shuhada street, and soldiers restrict |
Palestinian access onto the short portion of Shuhada street where they are still allowed to walk.
“As soon as the dancing kids moved closer to the checkpoint, soldiers immediately attacked with two tear gas grenades and two stun grenades,” reported an ISM volunteer who witnessed the incident. “Israeli soldiers fired tear gas even though the children were not throwing stones.”
After first fleeing the assault, the Palestinian children managed to continue dancing even as around twenty soldiers and eight border police advanced from the checkpoint into Bab Al-Zawiye. Israeli forces threw a dozen stun grenades after a few youth began throwing stones at the checkpoint.
Clashes continued for about an hour and a half, as Israeli soldiers and border police fired even more rounds of tear gas, several additional stun grenades, and eventually rubber-coated steel bullets at Palestinian youth. Advancing further and further into the commercial center of Bab Al-Zawiye, they ended up shooting into the crowded streets of the city’s market area. Local activists reported that two Palestinians suffered injuries from rubber-coated steel bullets.
February 25 marks the 21-year anniversary of the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre; in 1994 US-born extremist settler Baruch Goldstein murdered 29 Palestinian worshipers inside the Al-Khalil mosque and injured dozens more. In the time following the attack, Israeli authorities initiated a crackdown, not on those occupying the city’s illegal settlements, but on Palestinians. Israel put in place policies, including the closure of Shuhada street, which would eventually lead to Al-Khalil becoming the divided city it is today.
Children in H2, which includes Al-Khalil’s historic Old City and once-thriving market, constantly endure the violence and daily humiliations of Israeli military occupation. Children living in the neighborhoods of H2 are routinely tear gassed on their way to school and face arrest, attack and daily harassment at checkpoints. The Open Shuhada Street actions are a yearly expression of resistance to Israel’s Apartheid system, as Palestinians young and old demand and end to the occupation.
“As soon as the dancing kids moved closer to the checkpoint, soldiers immediately attacked with two tear gas grenades and two stun grenades,” reported an ISM volunteer who witnessed the incident. “Israeli soldiers fired tear gas even though the children were not throwing stones.”
After first fleeing the assault, the Palestinian children managed to continue dancing even as around twenty soldiers and eight border police advanced from the checkpoint into Bab Al-Zawiye. Israeli forces threw a dozen stun grenades after a few youth began throwing stones at the checkpoint.
Clashes continued for about an hour and a half, as Israeli soldiers and border police fired even more rounds of tear gas, several additional stun grenades, and eventually rubber-coated steel bullets at Palestinian youth. Advancing further and further into the commercial center of Bab Al-Zawiye, they ended up shooting into the crowded streets of the city’s market area. Local activists reported that two Palestinians suffered injuries from rubber-coated steel bullets.
February 25 marks the 21-year anniversary of the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre; in 1994 US-born extremist settler Baruch Goldstein murdered 29 Palestinian worshipers inside the Al-Khalil mosque and injured dozens more. In the time following the attack, Israeli authorities initiated a crackdown, not on those occupying the city’s illegal settlements, but on Palestinians. Israel put in place policies, including the closure of Shuhada street, which would eventually lead to Al-Khalil becoming the divided city it is today.
Children in H2, which includes Al-Khalil’s historic Old City and once-thriving market, constantly endure the violence and daily humiliations of Israeli military occupation. Children living in the neighborhoods of H2 are routinely tear gassed on their way to school and face arrest, attack and daily harassment at checkpoints. The Open Shuhada Street actions are a yearly expression of resistance to Israel’s Apartheid system, as Palestinians young and old demand and end to the occupation.
The Arab League has called on the UN and other international human rights committees to hold to their responsibilities in providing protection, for the Palestinian people and their holy sites, from ongoing Israeli attacks.
Al Ray reports that, in a statement issued by the Arab league on the anniversary of Ibrahimi Mosque massacre, it stressed the importance of confronting the Israelis and halting the illegal practices against the Ibrahimi and al-Aqsa mosques, as they are in contradiction the Fourth Geneva Convention and the obligations set forth as an occupying power.
The Hebron massacre was a shooting attack carried out by American-born Israeli, Baruch Goldstein, a member of the far-right Israeli "Kach" movement, who opened fire on unarmed Palestinian Muslims praying inside the Ibrahimi Mosque (or Mosque of Abraham) at the Cave of the Patriarchs, in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron.
The shooting took place on February 25, 1994, during the overlapping religious holidays of Purim and Ramadan, leaving 29 male worshippers dead and 125 wounded.The attack ended only after Goldstein was overcome and beaten to death by survivors.
The Arab league explained that such a crime backs a dangerous policy which devastates any peace solution.
It holds the state of Israel responsibile for the massacre, considering it to be a part of Israeli terrorist policy in occupied Palestine. It also condemned colonial settler practices against Palestinians, confiscating lands and expelling the inhabitants in order to establish Israeli settlements and housing units.
It added that the massacre reflected the racist nature of the Israeli regime and revealed its inherent ideology to be full of hatred. Israel used the crime to implement its authority over the mosque.
This massacre violated all the regulations and norms which protect the right of worship, while the Israeli occupation uses military force to impose a new reality.
Al Ray reports that, in a statement issued by the Arab league on the anniversary of Ibrahimi Mosque massacre, it stressed the importance of confronting the Israelis and halting the illegal practices against the Ibrahimi and al-Aqsa mosques, as they are in contradiction the Fourth Geneva Convention and the obligations set forth as an occupying power.
The Hebron massacre was a shooting attack carried out by American-born Israeli, Baruch Goldstein, a member of the far-right Israeli "Kach" movement, who opened fire on unarmed Palestinian Muslims praying inside the Ibrahimi Mosque (or Mosque of Abraham) at the Cave of the Patriarchs, in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron.
The shooting took place on February 25, 1994, during the overlapping religious holidays of Purim and Ramadan, leaving 29 male worshippers dead and 125 wounded.The attack ended only after Goldstein was overcome and beaten to death by survivors.
The Arab league explained that such a crime backs a dangerous policy which devastates any peace solution.
It holds the state of Israel responsibile for the massacre, considering it to be a part of Israeli terrorist policy in occupied Palestine. It also condemned colonial settler practices against Palestinians, confiscating lands and expelling the inhabitants in order to establish Israeli settlements and housing units.
It added that the massacre reflected the racist nature of the Israeli regime and revealed its inherent ideology to be full of hatred. Israel used the crime to implement its authority over the mosque.
This massacre violated all the regulations and norms which protect the right of worship, while the Israeli occupation uses military force to impose a new reality.
The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) tightened security measures at the Israeli military checkpoints established on different locations in al-Khalil on Wednesday.
Eyewitnesses told the PIC reporter that the IOF set up many military barriers, intensified search operations, and blocked traffic in al-Khalil.
The eyewitnesses also said that the Israeli tight security measures have been going on since the early hours of the morning.
This coincided with the 21st anniversary of al-Haram al-Ibrahimi massacre in which 29 Palestinian civilians were killed and more than 100 others wounded at the hands of an Israeli fanatic settler aided by IOF soldiers.
In a similar context, local sources revealed that the IOF handed evacuation and demolition notices to evacuate an entire hamlet to the south of al-Khalil city on Tuesday.
The sources told the PIC reporter that the IOF escorted by members of the Israeli Civil Administration raided the hamlet and the soldiers handed its inhabitants evacuation notices under threats to demolish their houses.
The Israeli occupation claims that the hamlet is built on “state-owned” land. It is, however, being confiscated for settlement expansion purposes despite the fact that the Palestinian inhabitants have been living in the hamlet for many decades, the sources said.
Eyewitnesses told the PIC reporter that the IOF set up many military barriers, intensified search operations, and blocked traffic in al-Khalil.
The eyewitnesses also said that the Israeli tight security measures have been going on since the early hours of the morning.
This coincided with the 21st anniversary of al-Haram al-Ibrahimi massacre in which 29 Palestinian civilians were killed and more than 100 others wounded at the hands of an Israeli fanatic settler aided by IOF soldiers.
In a similar context, local sources revealed that the IOF handed evacuation and demolition notices to evacuate an entire hamlet to the south of al-Khalil city on Tuesday.
The sources told the PIC reporter that the IOF escorted by members of the Israeli Civil Administration raided the hamlet and the soldiers handed its inhabitants evacuation notices under threats to demolish their houses.
The Israeli occupation claims that the hamlet is built on “state-owned” land. It is, however, being confiscated for settlement expansion purposes despite the fact that the Palestinian inhabitants have been living in the hamlet for many decades, the sources said.
17 feb 2015
In the daily reality of Hebron, its residents do not only remember the 1994 Ibrahimi mosque massacre, but live it and its consequences each and every day.
Palestinians throughout the West Bank and particularly in the city of Hebron are in high gear preparing for Hebron Week, a week of protests and activities in commemoration of the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre, when an Israeli settler entered Hebron's Ibrahimi mosque on 25 February 1994, in the middle of the month of Ramadan, murdering 29 Palestinians and wounding over one hundred.
In addition to its commemorative value, Hebron week is a protest against the numerous Israeli decisions and procedures implemented since the murder, decisions which further oppress the local Palestinian residents of the city. These include division of the Ibrahimi mosque into two – a section for Muslims and another for Jews; establishment of three checkpoints near the mosque's western gate, through which Palestinians must pass; and closure of the main Shuhada Street to Palestinians and imposition of growing restrictions on commerce, worship and movement freedoms in Hebron's city center.
This was the first time ever that the Ibrahimi mosque was divided into two sections. Over 10,000 Palestinian residents in Hebron live to the East of the mosque, so daily they must pass through at least one of the three checkpoints on their way to work, school and the shops.
Hebron was further divided in 1997 through an agreement between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israel, under which 50,000 Palestinians live in the area under full Israeli control. Their lives are miserable because of the some 500 settlers who live in five settlements in this area. Many of the settlers enjoy attacking Palestinians and denying their rights through, amongst other actions, attacks on homes and shops, stoning people in the street and confiscation of land and homes. These aggressions are committed with full cooperation of the Israeli army or with its complicity through silence.
In such a reality, the residents of Hebron do not only remember the 1994 Ibrahimi mosque massacre, but live it and its consequences each and every day.
Each year the local grassroots movements and committees in Hebron commemorate the Ibrahimi mosque massacre through demonstrations and other activities which express their resistance and refusal of Israeli policies. These actions are conducted in cooperation with internationals on both the individual and organisational levels, and also with Israelis who oppose Israeli policy and participate each year in Hebron Week activities.
“This Hebron Week is special as the situation in the city has been extremely difficult this past year” says Anan Da'na, a member of the Hebron Defense Committee and resident of Hebron's downtown. “We've witnessed serious attacks by settlers and an escalation in their taking over of Palestinian-owned homes and expanding the settlements.” Da'na adds that “It is so important that numerous activists and organisations from Hebron, abroad and Israel will participate in the big demonstration on February 20. We are also inviting ambassadors and consuls to join the demonstration, or come to Hebron during our week of activities.”
A collective prayer is planned for Tuesday 24 February in the Ibrahimi mosque, to which many from throughout Palestine will come in solidarity with Hebron.
Looking beyond Hebron Week, Da'na states that the city's activists and social movements “will push the Palestinian leadership to treat what is happening in Hebron as war crimes and to raise them in international bodies such as the International Criminal Court”.
More stories and relevant links at the Alternative Information Center.
Palestinians throughout the West Bank and particularly in the city of Hebron are in high gear preparing for Hebron Week, a week of protests and activities in commemoration of the Ibrahimi Mosque massacre, when an Israeli settler entered Hebron's Ibrahimi mosque on 25 February 1994, in the middle of the month of Ramadan, murdering 29 Palestinians and wounding over one hundred.
In addition to its commemorative value, Hebron week is a protest against the numerous Israeli decisions and procedures implemented since the murder, decisions which further oppress the local Palestinian residents of the city. These include division of the Ibrahimi mosque into two – a section for Muslims and another for Jews; establishment of three checkpoints near the mosque's western gate, through which Palestinians must pass; and closure of the main Shuhada Street to Palestinians and imposition of growing restrictions on commerce, worship and movement freedoms in Hebron's city center.
This was the first time ever that the Ibrahimi mosque was divided into two sections. Over 10,000 Palestinian residents in Hebron live to the East of the mosque, so daily they must pass through at least one of the three checkpoints on their way to work, school and the shops.
Hebron was further divided in 1997 through an agreement between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israel, under which 50,000 Palestinians live in the area under full Israeli control. Their lives are miserable because of the some 500 settlers who live in five settlements in this area. Many of the settlers enjoy attacking Palestinians and denying their rights through, amongst other actions, attacks on homes and shops, stoning people in the street and confiscation of land and homes. These aggressions are committed with full cooperation of the Israeli army or with its complicity through silence.
In such a reality, the residents of Hebron do not only remember the 1994 Ibrahimi mosque massacre, but live it and its consequences each and every day.
Each year the local grassroots movements and committees in Hebron commemorate the Ibrahimi mosque massacre through demonstrations and other activities which express their resistance and refusal of Israeli policies. These actions are conducted in cooperation with internationals on both the individual and organisational levels, and also with Israelis who oppose Israeli policy and participate each year in Hebron Week activities.
“This Hebron Week is special as the situation in the city has been extremely difficult this past year” says Anan Da'na, a member of the Hebron Defense Committee and resident of Hebron's downtown. “We've witnessed serious attacks by settlers and an escalation in their taking over of Palestinian-owned homes and expanding the settlements.” Da'na adds that “It is so important that numerous activists and organisations from Hebron, abroad and Israel will participate in the big demonstration on February 20. We are also inviting ambassadors and consuls to join the demonstration, or come to Hebron during our week of activities.”
A collective prayer is planned for Tuesday 24 February in the Ibrahimi mosque, to which many from throughout Palestine will come in solidarity with Hebron.
Looking beyond Hebron Week, Da'na states that the city's activists and social movements “will push the Palestinian leadership to treat what is happening in Hebron as war crimes and to raise them in international bodies such as the International Criminal Court”.
More stories and relevant links at the Alternative Information Center.
Palestinian officials say the Israeli prime minister's plan to visit the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron is a "time bomb" that could drag the area into more violence and disorder.
Hebron's mayor, Kamel Hmeid, called upon the foreign ministers of six member countries in the Temporary International Presence in Hebron to hold an emergency meeting to protect residents from Benjamin Netanyahu's plans.
The visit to the Ibrahimi mosque, known to Jews as the Cave of the Patriarchs, will take place March 3, one week before the Israeli Knesset elections and close to the anniversary of the massacre in which 29 Palestinians were killed and dozens were injured when an Israeli settler opened fire at worshipers.
A Palestinian security source told Ma'an that "Netanyahu lit the wick of a big bomb in Hebron, and we do not know when or where it will explode."
"Residents of Hebron are preparing to commemorate the 21st memory of the Ibrahimi Mosque's massacre on Friday between the H1 and H2 parts of the Hebron," he added.
"Clashes with Israeli soldiers will surely erupt on contact points following the marches."
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added: "We expressed our fears of this visit to the Israeli side and we hold them responsible for the consequences."
Hebron's mayor said that "Netanyahu's visit to the mosque will represent cancelling the Hebron agreement that he signed in 1997."
Hmeid added that the premier "hesitated before signing the agreement that divided the city into two parts," and that the Israeli government did not commit to the agreement.
Muhammad al-Bakri, a Fatah leader, said that "Netanyahu does not realize what is good for Israel and the Israelis."
Al-Bakri added that Netanyahu "does not act wisely" toward the good of Israel and is holding on to the prime minister's chair.
Nasser Laham, chief editor of Ma'an, called Netanyahu's plans to visit Hebron and the Ibrahimi Mosque a "dangerous step" as it gives protection to Jewish settlements from the Israeli government.
Issa Amro, the coordinator of a local group against settlements, said that the step is "dangerous to residents of Hebron," especially in the Old City and between the Kiryat Arba and Bet Yashay settlements.
Hebron's mayor, Kamel Hmeid, called upon the foreign ministers of six member countries in the Temporary International Presence in Hebron to hold an emergency meeting to protect residents from Benjamin Netanyahu's plans.
The visit to the Ibrahimi mosque, known to Jews as the Cave of the Patriarchs, will take place March 3, one week before the Israeli Knesset elections and close to the anniversary of the massacre in which 29 Palestinians were killed and dozens were injured when an Israeli settler opened fire at worshipers.
A Palestinian security source told Ma'an that "Netanyahu lit the wick of a big bomb in Hebron, and we do not know when or where it will explode."
"Residents of Hebron are preparing to commemorate the 21st memory of the Ibrahimi Mosque's massacre on Friday between the H1 and H2 parts of the Hebron," he added.
"Clashes with Israeli soldiers will surely erupt on contact points following the marches."
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added: "We expressed our fears of this visit to the Israeli side and we hold them responsible for the consequences."
Hebron's mayor said that "Netanyahu's visit to the mosque will represent cancelling the Hebron agreement that he signed in 1997."
Hmeid added that the premier "hesitated before signing the agreement that divided the city into two parts," and that the Israeli government did not commit to the agreement.
Muhammad al-Bakri, a Fatah leader, said that "Netanyahu does not realize what is good for Israel and the Israelis."
Al-Bakri added that Netanyahu "does not act wisely" toward the good of Israel and is holding on to the prime minister's chair.
Nasser Laham, chief editor of Ma'an, called Netanyahu's plans to visit Hebron and the Ibrahimi Mosque a "dangerous step" as it gives protection to Jewish settlements from the Israeli government.
Issa Amro, the coordinator of a local group against settlements, said that the step is "dangerous to residents of Hebron," especially in the Old City and between the Kiryat Arba and Bet Yashay settlements.
