Katie Hopkins learns the truth from meeting real Hebron residents.
British media personality Katie Hopkins visited Hebron along with other cities for a series on Israel. Hopkins toured Israel with The Rebel Media, a Canadian news outlet.
She met with Yishai Fleisher, the international spokesman for the Jewish community of Hebron who told her about daily life. Fleisher described the Cave of the Matriarchs & Patriarchs as “a two thousand year old building on top of tombs that are 3,800 years old… We get about 700,000 tourists a year. If we [the Jewish community] wouldn’t be here and the army wouldn’t be here, this place would close right us, and nobody would have access. That’s what happened with the Tomb of Joseph. We are the protectors of this building.”
Hopkins asked him about raising a family in a city known for conflict. Fleisher replied, “you’re right that it’s not as normal, but the kids grow up with something we miss a lot of the time in Western world which is courage, meaning, a life with historical purpose — so these kids grow up strong and believing in something.”
Hopkins also spoke to residents of the Palestinian Authority controlled part of Hebron. Ghassan Jabari, a Muslim shopkeeper told her that he thought the foreign NGOs that proliferate in the city was an impediment to peace stating, “it’s all about making money from the foundations from abroad.” He added “there will be a higher opportunity to find peace” without the flow of money from international organizations.
In addition to visiting the Tomb of Machpela, Hopkins also visited the memorial for Shalhevet Pass, the infant girl who was killed by a sniper in the year 2000 during the wave of violence known as the Second Intifada. The memorial, located in a Jewish neighborhood around the corner from King David Street (Shuhada Street) is the site where the terrorist targeted the baby being pushed by her father in a buggy. The terrorist was aiming from the overlooking Abu Sneinah hills, which today are under Israeli jurisdiction.
Hopkins toured the section of Shuhada Street (Street of the Martyrs) that runs through the Jewish neighborhoods and explained the history of the stores were closed for security reasons.
She also visited Jerusalem, a United Nations UNRWA refugee camp adjacent to Bethlehem and other sites.
