Knesset Conference Vows Solidarity with Hebron

Over 50 Members of Knesset, government ministers and elected officials gathered at the Knesset in Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish community of Hebron. Organized by the Knesset Land of Israel Lobby, the conference culminated in the signing of a special declaration of solidarity with the Jews of Hebron.

 

The text read, “We, the undersigned, hereby express deep solidarity with the roots of the Jewish people in Hebron and the support of the Jewish community in Hebron that has clung to the city despite all the difficulties. We declare an unambiguous commitment to the continued existence, security and prosperity of Hebron as the city of both our forefathers and children.”

 

The organizers, Members of Knesset Yoav Kisch of the Likud Party and Betzalel Smotrich of the Jewish Home party arranged the event to precede a conference arranged by the Meretz party which is calling for the removal of Jewish residents from Hebron. The planned “Hebron First” event promotes the idea that Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria are an obstacle to peace with the Palestinian Authority.

 

Those in attendance included: Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, Minister of Education Uri Ariel, Minister of Housing Yoav Galant, Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked, Minister of Environment Ze’ev Elkin, Minister of the Interior Aryeh Deri, Minister of Science Ofir Akunis, Minister of Social Equality Gila Gamliel, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Hotovely, Deputy Minister of Defense Eli Ben Dahan, MK Avi Dichter (Likud), MK Amir Ohana (Likud), MK Osnat Mark (Likud), MK Oren Hazan (Likud), MK Miki Zohar (Likud), MK Moti Yogev (Jewish Home), MK Nurit Koren (Likud), MK Sharren Haskel (Likud), MK Nissan Slomiansky (Jewish Home), MK Michael Malchieli (Shas), Samaria Regional Council chairman Yossi Dagan, Benjamin Regional chairman Yisrael Gantz, Yesha Council chairman Hananel Dorani, deputy Yesha Council chairman Yigal Dilmoni, Kiryat Arba council chairman Eliyahu Liebman, Hebron Municipal Administration chairman Avraham Ben Yosef, director of the Jewish community of Hebron committee Uri Karzen, Hebrew-language spokesman for the Jewish community Noam Arnon, international spokesman for the Jewish community Yishai Fleisher, former MK and long-time Hebron resident Orit Strook, and other guests.

 

MK Yoav Kisch opened the conference by stating, “Elections come and go, but Hebron is forever. Hebron is the heart of the Jewish community, an integral part of the land of Israel and the people of Israel. We will certainly continue to strengthen sovereignty where our patriarchs and matriarchs are buried. At the end of December we have to decide whether to extend TIPH’s mandate. I want to issue the call — it’s time to send them back to the countries they came from. They do nothing but damage. TIPH’s mission was over long ago,” he stated, in reference to the Temporary International Presence in Hebron.

 

In recent weeks, TIPH have come under greater and greater scrutiny. Founded in the mid-1990s, the foreign observers patrol the streets of Hebron to report on what they see as any potential violations of international law perpetrated by the Israel Defense Forces or Israeli civilians.

 

A leaked document obtained by Haaretz newspaper revealed that TIPH blasted Israel for opening the Tel Hevron archaeological park because it focused too much on the Jewish connection to the city. It also accused Israel of anti-Arab discrimination because there are separate Muslim and Jewish entrances to the Tomb of Machpela. The TIPH report made no mention of terrorist attacks perpetrated by Arabs against Jewish residents.

 

Earlier this year, a TIPH observer was sent to his home country after being caught on video slapping a 10-year-old Jewish Hebron resident in the face. The previous year a TIPH member was caught puncturing the tire on a vehicle owned by a  local Jewish resident.

 

In addition to a blatant anti-Israel bias, the group has even been accused of bank fraud and embezzlement by a former member. See full article for details.

 

Co-organizer MK Smotrich stated, “Hebron is a litmus test. What is happening in Hebron shows our Jewish pulse.” He elaborated, that those who seek the eviction of the Jewish community “understand very well that if Hebron grows and develops, the entire settlement enterprise will grow and develop, so they invest in harming Hebron. But they will continue to shout and complain while we will continue to build, reach the masses and connect with our roots.”

 

MK Smotrich’s mention of building references the two projects approved by the Knesset this year — the Hezekiah quarter and the Mitzpe Shalhevet neighborhood in the old wholesale market. These major developments in addition to the Tel Hevron archaeological garden made for a busy and newsworthy year for the city. 

 

Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein stated, “anyone who has seen the tens of thousands of Jews on Shabbat Chayei Sarah understands what Hebron means for the people of Israel. They say there are only 800 Jewish residents of Hebron, but on Shabbat Chayei Sarah there are over 30,000 visitors — young, old, Ashkenazi, Sefardi, religious and non-religious.” He added that the upcoming Hebron First conference seeks to make the city “Judenrein,” a German phrase from World War II meaning “free of Jews.” 

 

 

Edelstein personally attended the weekend celebration which takes place every year during the reading of the Torah portion that describes Abraham’s purchase of the cave of Machpela for his wife Sarah. Edelstein is planning to attend a tour of the city in the near future with the Im Tirtzu college group. The student organization has a strong showing at the Knesset event.

 

Minister Elkin discussed this year’s UNESCO declaration which called the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron an endangered Palestinian Heritage site The vote resulted in both Israel and the United States leaving the United Nations body. He echoes a call by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reallocate the money meant for dues to UNESCO to be used for a museum of Jewish heritage in Hebron.

 

MK Koren stated, “my parents were among the founders of Kiryat Arba. From there, there rest of the communities in Judea and Samaria developed.” Both she and MK Malchieli mentioned the need for handicapped access to the Tomb of Machpela.

 

MK Haskel highlighted women who in recent history helped repopulate the city. She singled out former MK Orit Strook who was in attendance, and mentioned Sarah Nachshon, one of the first of the modern residents. She also briefly told the story of the women of Beit Hadassah in the late 1970s and their struggle to raise their children in the historic Jewish quarter of the city. MK Haskel praised the plans to build more schools and a hotel.

 

MK Dichter stated, “even secular people understand the importance of Hebron.” He highlighted a major issue as being accessibility. Although new bus lines were added to the Egged bus company’s routes, MK Dicther said more could be done. “We made the Tomb of Rachel easy to get to. We have to do that for Hebron, so that no one will think twice if its safe and convenient to travel.”

 

Other lawmakers agreed that action must be taken to enhance Hebron before new elections. There was a consensus that the mandate for TIPH should not be renewed and that the presence of a foreign watchdog group only exacerbated tensions between Jewish and Arab residents. 

 

Read this article in Hebrew – אקורד הסיום של הכנסת ה-20: כנס תמיכה ענק בישוב היהודי בחברון

 

 

* Knesset Members, Ministers Vow to Strengthen Jewish Solidarity In Hebron

* Ministers, MKs demand: No renewal of TIPH mandate

* Politicians: Netanyahu Must Keep Pledge to Weigh Ousting TIPH from Hebron

* Knesset caucus demands ouster of observer force in wake of new revelation

* TIPH Hebron Observer Force Fails to Meet its Own Code of Ethics, Official Says

* End of the TIPH Mandate?

* “לסיים מנדט טי”פ בחברון בסוף החודש”

* השרה גמליאל: “צריך להוקיע את TIPH”

* תעמולה פרו-פלסטינית ואנטישמית”: המשקיפים בחברון שוב על המוקד

* Biased Report Funded by TIPH Distorts History of Hebron