The situation in Hebron – the existence of a Jewish settlement in the heart of a Palestinian city – provokes ongoing friction between the two populations, and reflects all that is wrong about the occupation, the settlements, and Israel’s policies in the Occupied Territories. Because of the existence of settlement points in the city and army activities carried out in the name of protecting them, the Palestinians who live in the Hebron city center have suffered for years from severe violations of their most basic human rights. These include harsh restrictions on their movement – the closing of main roads to Palestinian vehicles and pedestrians; blocking their entry to homes; the shutting down of stores; violence by settlers under the protection of the security forces; and harassment, abuse, and violence by the security forces, including the confiscation of homes, arbitrary searches, detentions, and humiliation. All this has choked commerce in the area, and led to economic collapse and the massive emigration of the residents.
Hebron’s city center, which in the past had been a bustling commercial hub, is now a ghost town. A survey conducted by B’Tselem and ACRI, published in May 2007, reveals the extent to which Palestinians have abandoned areas near the settlement points in Hebron. The data from December 2006 reveal that at least 1,014 Palestinian housing units – 41.9% of the total housing in the area surveyed – had been abandoned by their occupants over the years, most during the second Intifada. Similarly, 1,829 Palestinian businesses – 76.6% of the total businesses in this area – now stand empty, of which 1,141 (62.4%) were closed during the second Intifada.
ACRI continues to work intensively to bring pressure to bear on the Israeli government to fulfill its obligations under international law to ensure the protection and well-being of the Palestinian civilian population under occupation.
Resources on Human Rights in Hebron:
The Independent, “A Rough Guide to Hebron: The World’s Strangest Guided Tour Highlights the Abuse of Palestinians,” January 27, 2008
ACRI Achieves Easing of Restriction of Movement in Hebron, February 2007
ACRI appeals against violations of Palestinians’ rights in Tel Rumeida, September 2006
ACRI’s Shadow Report to the UN Committee for the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination, January 2006
Urgent Appeal against Settler Attacks on Palestinians in Hebron, October 2005
