By Giorgia Piantanida

When I had the opportunity to travel to Israel and Occupied Palestine with my college, I was not prepared for the experience that awaited me. I knew it would be emotionally difficult, but the ten days I spent in the area were some of the most important and transformative days of my life. Out of all the places we had a chance to go to, the town that struck me the most was Hebron. When we arrived, I did not know anything about Hebron, outside of its vague existence. From its deep religious meaning to the conflict that occurred on its streets, Hebron is a city full of life, meaning, and depth. Within the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Hebron’s history and current situation are the perfect microcosms of the bigger issue at hand. 

Hebron’s History

Hebron has a long history documented throughout time. It was a vital juncture in the ancient period, known for being one of the principal locations of the Tribe of Judah. During the Medieval Period, it was ruled by the Islamic Caliphate, who took over without resistance from the locals. It was also ruled for some time by the Ottomans, during which time it became a center for Jewish learning. In the last 100 years, it has been under British rule, Jordanian rule, and today, the rule of both the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government. Hebron is extremely important to Judaism and Islam because it is the resting place of Abraham and his wife, Sarah. The city had been home to a small Jewish community prior to the British rule of Palestine. 

In 1947, the UN passed Resolution 181, which divided what was then known as the British Mandate of Palestine roughly in half. Part of the land was to be the new Jewish state, and the other part was to be the Palestinian state. Under this resolution, Hebron was part of Palestine. In 1968, a settlement was founded on the outskirts of Hebron called Kiryat Arba, which, through the years, slowly moved towards the city center. In 1979, a group of women and children from that settlement left and established a new settlement in the Old City under a new name, Beit Hadassah. During this time, Hebron continued to be a thriving economic center for Palestine, complete with busy market days and strong community ties. 

As Beit Hadassah grew, a difficult, strenuous relationship developed between the Palestinians in the area and the new settlers. That tension came to a head in 1994, shortly after the signing of the Oslo Accords of 1993, when Baruch Goldstein opened fire on unarmed Palestinians praying at the Ibrahimi Mosque. Protests ensued, and shops and homes were welded shut by the IDF in the name of restoring order. The main commercial street, Al Shuhada, was closed off to Palestinians completely. Palestinian residents were evicted, which led to shops being forced to close and created a loss of jobs. This created a vicious cycle that left much of Hebron closed for many years.  

Modern Hebron

In 1997, the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority (PA) signed a follow-up agreement to the Oslo Accords, aptly named the Hebron Agreement, in which Hebron was officially split into two sections, H1 and H2. Responsibility for H1 was formally handed to the PA, while H2 was considered Israeli responsibility. In this new agreement, the Old City center was placed in H2, and Al Shuhada, the formerly thriving commercial center, remained as a buffer between the two zones. 

Today, Al Shuhada has restricted access for Palestinians, with foot and vehicle traffic laws in place, which has made it nearly impossible for the center to be revived to its once-bustling state. If it cannot rely on a legally-allowed consistent customer base, it cannot successfully come back. Israeli settlers in the area are given unrestrained access to the area, and often harass the Palestinian residents. Israeli soldiers in the area are told in their training that they are in Hebron to protect the settlers. This further complicates the future of Hebron, as the two main settlements in the area continue to grow at exponential rates.

In the community in H1, work is being done to ease the strain of the current situation on Palestinians. The Hebron Rehabilitation Committee (HRC) works to maintain Arabic and Islamic identity in the Old City. Today, they work to find affordable housing for Palestinians and renovate historic buildings in the area. Part of their mission is also focused on reviving the economy by preserving markets, encouraging tourism, and providing job training for residents. Though the international support they receive helps their revival efforts, it is arduous work that encompasses many obstacles. It is impossible to ignore the issues the group faces in their work, which are becoming increasingly insurmountable. Some such issues are created by the IDF’s enforcement of strict travel restrictions, which hinder the ability to rebuild.

Hebron’s Future

Hebron has no fixed future, though if we look back upon its resilient past, it seems likely to survive in some form. While the distress it currently faces may deeply harm its uniqueness, it is a city of unmeasurable history and cultural richness. Hebron is more than an important religious site--it is a city that tells a story no other can; from conquests of ancient times to ongoing conflicts today. It is a site of intellect and culture, and a home that is fading away from its residents. Learning more about Hebron will only be the first step of many in raising awareness about the city’s current plight and ultimately advance its long-term restoration and protection. After all, there is no other place like Hebron.