Hebron Jews Purchase New Beit Tekuma Building

UPDATED: May 16, 2022

 

A vacant three-story building now called Beit Tekuma (House of Revival) was
purchased and inhabited Friday. Located on the edge of the Israeli side of Hebron near
Kiryat Arba, on May 13, 2022, a group of Israelis arrived at the building and made
preliminary renovations to the structure which had no running water
or electricity.

 

The residents spent the Shabbat in the building and left by Monday morning
after an agreement with the Israeli government was reached.

Located on the road from the edge of the old city of Hebron leading to Kiryat Arba,
the structure was purchased by the Harchevi Makom Ohalech organization which has
successfully acquired other properties in the city such as the Beit Rachel and Beit Leah building
near the Tomb of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs.

Shlomo Levinger of the Harchevi group said “we are continuing the Zionist endeavor of
redeeming the land. Especially these days, we want to be clear that Jews can buy a home
anywhere in the Land of Israel, particularly in the city of our forefathers,” he said as
quoted by the Jerusalem Post. Fifteen families moved into a building and had already
been accessing the site for close to a month, the Jpost reported.

 

 

Yishai Fleisher, the international spokesperson for the Jewish community of
Hebron was on the scene Friday as the new residents prepared for the Sabbath. As of
Sunday, his short Twitter
video of workers fixing up the dusty, broken structure had over 1 million
views, 2,000 shares and almost 2,000 comments. 

 

Israelis who live in Judea and Samaria need extra permission from the
Ministry of Defense to dwell in homes even when the purchases are verified. In the case
of the Israeli neighborhoods in the divided city of Hebron, new purchases are rare
and new buildings have not been built in almost 20 years.

 

 

It is illegal for a Palestinian Authority resident to sell property to
Israelis, an offense punished by death, thus groups like Harchevi often use a third
party for such purchases and assume that the seller in question will publicly deny the
sale.

Haaretz news reported that a man named Mohammed Ja’abari claimed to be the registered
owner. Wafa, the official PA news outlet reported the building was owned by Walid
al-Ja’abri.

Ibrahim Al Jabari posted
on Facebook said that he did not agree with the transaction and condemns any
Jabari who sold the property to Jews. A prominent member of the large and
influential clan in Hebron, he issued a statement that Mohamed Eid al-Jabari sold the
building to Abu Ali Harhash of Jerusalem for 500,000 Jordanian dinars ($705,000) who
then sold it to a Jewish group. Ibrahim Al Jabari then vowed to expel him from the
clan.

 

Beit Tekuma is located near another contested property bought by Israelis
called Beit HaShalom. First inhabited in 2007, the building, which was purchased for $1
million went through numerous court cases and evictions before being settled in favor of
the Israeli owners.

 

Another purchase was the vacant Beit HaMachpela building, across from the
Cave of Machpela. The Palestinian Authority resident who arranged the sale of the
property, Muhammad
Abu Shahala, was arrested for the crime of selling land to Jews in 2012 and
sentenced to death.

 

Since 1997, Hebron has been divided into H1, controlled by the PA and H2, controlled by
Israel. The H1 section which comprises 80% of the city is sprawling and highly
industrialized, accounting for most of the manufacturing and economy for the Palestinian
Authority. New construction is constant with such large scale projects such as the
new section of the multi-story
Hebron Center recently opened.

 

 

Beit Tekuma is located on the road from Kiryat Arba to Hebron near where a
deadly terrorist attack took place in 2001. David HaCohen, age 28
and Yehezkel Mualem,
age 49 were murdered by a terrorist shooting attack. A makeshift synagogue called Hazon
David was erected on the spot near their murder. The synagogue has repeatedly been dismantled
by the authorities. 

 

Another path from Kiryat Arba to Hebron, called Worshipers Way was targeted
in 2002
by a terrorist ambush leaving 12 people dead and scores
injured. 

 

 

Hundreds of Israeli supporters arrived at Beit Tekuma reacting to news that
the IDF Civil Administration, which has jurisdiction over Israeli civilians in Judea and
Samaria, would evict them.

Amid singing, dancing and Israeli flags fluttering in the breeze were several Members of
Knesset who voiced their support on Sunday. MK Bezalel Smotrich, head of the Religious
Zionist Party said he hoped the residents would be allowed to stay as did his colleague
MK Orit Strook, a resident of Hebron.

 

MK Yariv Levin and MK Amir Ohana, both of Likud, also called the new purchase
a positive step.

 

The Peace Now organization which opposes Jewish purchases in Judea and
Samaria condemned Beit Tekuma. “It doesn’t matter if it was legally purchased,” stated,
Hagit Ofran of Peace Now’s Settlement Watch team, adding she hoped the Defense Minister
would evict them.

 

The residents reached an agreement with the government to peacefully leave
the building in exchange for IDF troops securing the structure until the legal issues
can be ironed out. 

 

Representatives of the Jewish community said, “Jews in Hebron must have
to the right to purchase and Arabs must have the right to sell without fear of
punishment and death.”

 

 

 

* Yishai Fleisher
viral video of Beit Tekuma – Twitter

* Settlers move into new
apartment building in Hebron – Jerusalem Post

* IDF
to guard new Hebron building, settlers leave until permit approved – Jerusalem
Post

* MK Orit
Strook post on new agreeement – Twitter

* Jewish
Families Threatened with Eviction from Beit Tekuma – Jewish
Press

* Hundreds Support
New Hebron building – Israel National News

* Palestinian officer
‘sentenced to death for selling home to Jews – Daily Mail

* Jews
buy a building in Hebron. So, naturally, they are accused of “stealing”
it

* Clarification
from Jabari clan regarding house in Hebron – Jabari Facebook
post

* 15 Jewish families
moved into Beit HaTekuma – DigFind

* Dozens of Jews moved
into new house in Hebron (Hebrew) – Arutz Sheva

* Hundreds of activists
arrive in Hebron (Hebrew) – 0404

* Fulfilling Zionism:
Dozens inhabit new building in Hebron (Hebrew) – Maariv

* Jews
inhabiting a new building in Hebron (Hebrew) – Srugim

* Although
purchased legally: Residents asked to evacuate (Hebrew) –
Makor Rishon

 

 

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