The effects of the evacuation of Jewish settlers from a house in Hebron last week were felt all over the country as heightened alerts were issued for all public areas in Jerusalem. I was out for dinner with a friend in the city center when her phone started ringing off hook with phone calls from her roommates. Apparently her seminary had advised them not to leave their apartments as they felt the heightened tensions in the north were apt to manifest themselves in terror attacks in Jerusalem.
What happened in Hebron is happening throughout Arab communities in Israel. Right-wing Jews who believe they have a right to live anywhere in Israel will pay exorbitant prices to Arabs for homes in disputed areas such as Hebron or the Arab quarter in the Old City.
A few weeks ago when the Baltimore Federation came on a mission trip, we visited a few of these homes. One family of fourteen was living in a home that needs to be protected 24/7 by an armed guard to ensure the safety of the family. The father even told us one story where he was attacked and luckily he had guards walking with him that saved his life. Their groceries are delivered to their home and the children are often escorted to school so they don’t have to walk alone. They legally bought the home and fervently believe that they have a G-d given right to live there.
I was chatting with a coworker about the situation in Hebron and her 15 year old daughter is an ardent Zionist. She asked permission to go and protest with the settlers. Her mother said that she wouldn’t give her the money to go, but wouldn’t stop her either. I asked her mother how she could let her daughter go knowing the immense danger. She responded that she is a Zionist and that it would be hypocritical to stop her. The 15 year old didn’t end up going, but her friends were arrested for allegedly assaulting a soldier.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/08/08 at 08:50 AM | Comments (0)
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