I have taken three trips into the old city since I have been here. I have given you a little history about the place, but I want to give you a more in depth history of Hebron itself. As you can see from the picture there are two areas, H1 and H2. H1 is under Palestinian Authority and H2 is under Israeli Authority. In the center of the old city sits a huge mosque/synagogue.
My first trip to the old city was last summer. We spent less then a few hours there and heard the stories of the ways that the settlers treated the Palestinians and that the soldiers did nothing to stop this treatment. We heard how the settlers threw trash from above onto the shop owner below. They had to put up a metal fence type thing to keep the trash from falling, but that still doesn't keep the settlers from throwing urine and bleach and other gross things on the people below. That was my first experience with Hebron and the Old City.
I wasn't actually told any more than that when I visited. We knew there was strife,but I never imagined the tension like there is, and in order to understand that tension you have to go back to the beginning. The tradition and history is that it changed hands many times throughout the centuries from the Canaanites to the Romans to the Muslims to the Crusaders then to Ottoman rule. While it was under Muslim and Ottoman rule the Jewish populations was allowed to build a synagogue. Anyway it changed hands many times, you can read about it on numerous sites.
In 1929, there was an uprising in Hebron and 67 Jewish people were killed. The uprising was because of rumors of Jews massacring Arabs in Jerusalem. This was tragic of course, but what most seem to forget is that over 400 survived because their Arab neighbors hid them. After this incident the Jews were evacuated, and Hebron became a total Arab city.
After Israel became a state, there were movements to return people to Hebron and build settlements "to return to the land of our forefathers". Meaning let's kick people out of their homes. In present day Hebron, H2 is the part where the settlements are. Some Palestinians are allowed into the area because they have special passes.
When I volunteered to come here I started receiving updates about Hebron and everyday I was surprised at the things that we happening. Most of the violence is caused by the settlers.
When I began working at EC my bosses sent me to the Old City to see the situation first hand. They sent me with my Arabic tutor,another teacher, and a student from the EC. There are two checkpoints that you have to go through to even get to the Mosque. The first one you have to wait for them to turn on and then they don't even check anything. The second one you go through they are supposed to search your bag. I was the last one to go through the second checkpoint. When I went through I expected them to check my purse, but all they did was ask me where I was from and I said "America" they just waved me through. The other three had their bags checked and they took away some body spray. I was like really what is she going to do with body spray? Spray someone in the eyes with it? Like a Muslim is going to blow up a place that they consider a holy place. The only reason they are even there in the first place is to harass the Palestinians and make their lives miserable.
After we finished with the Mosque we began walking down Shuhuda Street, also known as Ghost Town. The reason it is called this is because the street is closed down and only Settlers are allowed to drive on it. We started walking a little ways down and two young settler girls began yelling at us. We were not actually going down the street, but turning so they could show me the school that was closed. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but my friends said it wasn't very nice. Okay, this is how it is different than being in the states. If I was in the states I would stand up to these people and tell them that they can't talk that way to another human being. Here I can't do that. Not only would I put myself in danger,but I would put my friends in danger. Kids are taught to hate. Kids are taught to love. It sad that some feel the need to teach their children to hate.
My second trip to the old city I went with other internationals and we went to the settler side. This was the same day as the kidnapping. Of course no one knew anything about it because there was a media blackout. We wondered the streets for a couple of hours and saw the synagogue. According to something I saw at the synagogue Adam and Eve are buried there too. Which I found interesting, but according to Jewish teachings they are buried in a cave in Hebron. This was the first I had heard of this. But eh whatever. We were walking back to catch taxis to our respective homes when we noticed people gathered around up to the left and an IDF soldier ran past us. My friends wanted to go see what the commotion was, and I told them they could go, but I wasn't going to go. They decided to not go either. Which I appreciated.
My third time to the old city was this past week. I meet my friends Kristen and Elias there. They were taking a group. I just wanted to hang out with them for a little while before I went to work. I would have gotten more time if the taxi driver wouldn't have dropped me in the wrong place and given me the wrong directions. He was mad that I wouldn't let him take me to the old city and so he sent me in the wrong direction. I wondered around Hebron for about 30 minuted until I found someone that could speak English and he sent me in the right direction. I got their just in time to meet the group coming out of the Mosque. We went to the store located across from the Mosque and just enjoyed talking with each other and talking with the owner and Mohammed,the owner's son.
This is a crazy mixed up place. With a past like no other. At times I don't understand how a place were Jesus walked and preached and loved could be so confusing, but then I come home to my family and am surrounded by compassion, hospitality, love and generosity
Salaam.
My first trip to the old city was last summer. We spent less then a few hours there and heard the stories of the ways that the settlers treated the Palestinians and that the soldiers did nothing to stop this treatment. We heard how the settlers threw trash from above onto the shop owner below. They had to put up a metal fence type thing to keep the trash from falling, but that still doesn't keep the settlers from throwing urine and bleach and other gross things on the people below. That was my first experience with Hebron and the Old City.
I wasn't actually told any more than that when I visited. We knew there was strife,but I never imagined the tension like there is, and in order to understand that tension you have to go back to the beginning. The tradition and history is that it changed hands many times throughout the centuries from the Canaanites to the Romans to the Muslims to the Crusaders then to Ottoman rule. While it was under Muslim and Ottoman rule the Jewish populations was allowed to build a synagogue. Anyway it changed hands many times, you can read about it on numerous sites.
In 1929, there was an uprising in Hebron and 67 Jewish people were killed. The uprising was because of rumors of Jews massacring Arabs in Jerusalem. This was tragic of course, but what most seem to forget is that over 400 survived because their Arab neighbors hid them. After this incident the Jews were evacuated, and Hebron became a total Arab city.
After Israel became a state, there were movements to return people to Hebron and build settlements "to return to the land of our forefathers". Meaning let's kick people out of their homes. In present day Hebron, H2 is the part where the settlements are. Some Palestinians are allowed into the area because they have special passes.
When I volunteered to come here I started receiving updates about Hebron and everyday I was surprised at the things that we happening. Most of the violence is caused by the settlers.
When I began working at EC my bosses sent me to the Old City to see the situation first hand. They sent me with my Arabic tutor,another teacher, and a student from the EC. There are two checkpoints that you have to go through to even get to the Mosque. The first one you have to wait for them to turn on and then they don't even check anything. The second one you go through they are supposed to search your bag. I was the last one to go through the second checkpoint. When I went through I expected them to check my purse, but all they did was ask me where I was from and I said "America" they just waved me through. The other three had their bags checked and they took away some body spray. I was like really what is she going to do with body spray? Spray someone in the eyes with it? Like a Muslim is going to blow up a place that they consider a holy place. The only reason they are even there in the first place is to harass the Palestinians and make their lives miserable.
After we finished with the Mosque we began walking down Shuhuda Street, also known as Ghost Town. The reason it is called this is because the street is closed down and only Settlers are allowed to drive on it. We started walking a little ways down and two young settler girls began yelling at us. We were not actually going down the street, but turning so they could show me the school that was closed. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but my friends said it wasn't very nice. Okay, this is how it is different than being in the states. If I was in the states I would stand up to these people and tell them that they can't talk that way to another human being. Here I can't do that. Not only would I put myself in danger,but I would put my friends in danger. Kids are taught to hate. Kids are taught to love. It sad that some feel the need to teach their children to hate.
My second trip to the old city I went with other internationals and we went to the settler side. This was the same day as the kidnapping. Of course no one knew anything about it because there was a media blackout. We wondered the streets for a couple of hours and saw the synagogue. According to something I saw at the synagogue Adam and Eve are buried there too. Which I found interesting, but according to Jewish teachings they are buried in a cave in Hebron. This was the first I had heard of this. But eh whatever. We were walking back to catch taxis to our respective homes when we noticed people gathered around up to the left and an IDF soldier ran past us. My friends wanted to go see what the commotion was, and I told them they could go, but I wasn't going to go. They decided to not go either. Which I appreciated.
My third time to the old city was this past week. I meet my friends Kristen and Elias there. They were taking a group. I just wanted to hang out with them for a little while before I went to work. I would have gotten more time if the taxi driver wouldn't have dropped me in the wrong place and given me the wrong directions. He was mad that I wouldn't let him take me to the old city and so he sent me in the wrong direction. I wondered around Hebron for about 30 minuted until I found someone that could speak English and he sent me in the right direction. I got their just in time to meet the group coming out of the Mosque. We went to the store located across from the Mosque and just enjoyed talking with each other and talking with the owner and Mohammed,the owner's son.
This is a crazy mixed up place. With a past like no other. At times I don't understand how a place were Jesus walked and preached and loved could be so confusing, but then I come home to my family and am surrounded by compassion, hospitality, love and generosity
Salaam.
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