Every Saturday, a tour of old Hebron is sponsored by the settlers of an illegal settlement Beit Romano. It can cost up to $100 per person to participate in the tour and the focus is for Jews to learn the Jewish history of Hebron. Hebron is home to the Abraham Mosque, the patriarch of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Both Abraham and his wife Leah are buried under the mosque which was originally known as the Cave of Machpelah. Leah’s home was in the Old ity of Hebron..
Let not your accustomed understanding of a benign tour with a relaxed guide fool you here. The military enters first to secure the area. Here is the beginning of the tour on the day I witnessed it as a member of the Christian Peacemaker Teams delegation:
During the tour, the participants are surrounded by the IDF for their own protection.
They are also allowed to carry their own weapons. The tour can take as long as it wants and because of the narrow streets, all economic activity and family life stops during the tour. Some weeks the soldiers will allow Palestinian civilians to pass by during the tour, other weeks they do not.
The majority of these soldiers are between 18 and 21.
The settlers look like they are out for a casual fun Saturday:
The IDF constantly have their weapons pointed at everyone but the settlers:
Children amidst the military during the tour:
The intensity of these tours underscores the oppression of the Palestinians in Hebron by the settlers from Beit Romano and the IDF. The settlers are illegally living on Palestinian land above Hebron but they are treated as Israeli civilians under Israeli law and protected by the Israeli military while marching through Hebron which is occupied territory. The Palestinian residents are denied their rights to move freely and protect their homes and land. If a Palestinian makes the slight provocation on these tours they can be arrested or shot.
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