Final Research
For the Urbicide Course
Under the Title :
Tumor in a City
Colonization in the old city of Hebron
Introduced to : D. Nurhan Abu Jidi
Prepared by: Shafiq Bara
First semester 2008/2009
Introduction :
Throw history the conflicts between nations took many shapes , wars , killing , destruction and annihilating people and cities , The City of Hebron form a Unique case of city annihilation that touch the Urban physical fabric , and social relations and cultural aspects ,
The struggle at the city identity that started wright after the occupation of the city in June 1967, between the Palestinian residents and the Israeli settlers ,turned the city into a ghost one , the Israeli occupation used a matrix of control system that strangled the life inside it , and those actions can be listed under the emerging Term Urbicide ,
This research will try to highlight part of the measures and rules implemented by the Israeli army and settlers , to highlight the way Urbicide process acts in the ground in this special case .
Urbicide AS a Term :
Urbicide is relatively a new theory that started after the ethnic war in Bosnia 1992 -1995 , this term is used to describe the violence against the city or " the killing and slaughter of which is subsumed under term urban" Martin Coward argued [1], the term meaning is expanding and taking new dimensions by the new researches around the world that consider new case studies around the world , from Bosnia to Kosovo to Nablus and Jenin In Palestine and Fallujah in Iraq ,
many researchers like Martin Coward , Andrew Herscher , Stephen Graham & Nurhan Abu Jidi tried to but enhanced definitions for the term Urbicide that describes certain cases like the three definitions listed by Nurhan Abu Jidi in her Paper :
*Urbicide as anti-urban, anti city violence:
in which the city is a target for what it present as a space of cosmopolitan life and tolerance. And the Urbicide can be seen as the destruction of homogeneous- plural, culture-ethnic or economic centers that can be done by bureaucratic or urban policies.
*Urbicide as politics of exclusion:
as Martin Coward describes Urbicide as a politics of exclusion of “anti heterogeneity”, the destruction of buildings, pubic spaces that establish common and shared spaces in which the diversity can live and communicate together.
* Urbicide as a war of (or against) terror:
as Stephen Graham and Gregory refer in their works, Urbicide is the element of armed conflict, war and anti terror campaigns. As the contemporary Israeli military campaign in occupied Palestine has been justified as “war on terrorism”.[2]
Most of those definitions discuss Urbicide as a violence by Military force or by Urban Planning that affect the Urbanity in its physical dimension , and discussing the effects of the physical destruction on the social life and cultural diminution , D. Nurhan in her study for Nablus Case tried to highlight how the Urbicide process acted in another level of hidden physical destructing ( as most of the damage were hidden inside the houses and can hardly be noticed from outside ) , but the main important point in her argument was highlighting the effect on how the residents of Nablus changed their perception to the city and the Urban space be erasing the limit between what is private and what is public ,
Nicholas Adams argues that : “ the Survival of architecture and urban life are important to the survival of people” ,[3] it is true that the physical aspect plays a major rule in the city life , and it is destruction is leading to the city annihilation , but there is other aspects that play a major rule in this process without even the destruction of a single wall ,
If we look at Mumford definition for the city : " The City " Is above all Things a theater" we will see the Urban experience as an integral component in development of human culture & human personality , as he say : " the physical design of cities and their economic functions are secondary to their relationship to the natural environment &to the Spiritual values of human community "[4].
Any huge interruption to those relations could lead t o a case of urban destruction that could be Listed Under the Term Urbicide , and that what we could understand from Richard Ingersoll argument , that "the survival of urban life depends not so much on maintaining any particular form of a city, as it does on the ability to create relationships of responsibility for the use of resources in an urban territory".[5]
Urbicide In Hebron :
The old city of Hebron is a very strong example for an annihilation process , that depends on strangling the city and turning it in to " a Ghost City " as Prof. Leiven De Cauter argue [6], the Urbicide inside the old city of Hebron is not very clear in the physical side ( the physical destruction is limited ) but it is very clear as an effect on the city social , cultural and economic life ,and that is a kind of Urbicide if we considered Stephen graham argument that " Urbicide is constructed from organized strategies that destroy specific social & physical aspects of urbanity ".[7]
The Urbicide in the old city of Hebron is part of a bigger process that is connected to the Palestinian Israeli conflict that go back to the 19 century , Stephen Graham tries to explain the dimensions of the conflict in his argument : " The Israel–Palestine war is not simply a struggle over territory between two national entities. It is driven by Israel’s systematic denial of modern urban life to the Palestinians. One of the lessons of the battle of Jenin is that the bulldozer that demolishes houses is also a weapon in the wider strategy to prevent the Palestinians from creating a modern, normal, urban society" , [8]
But in the case of Hebron there is another aspect that we can't see in the destruction of Jenin refugee camp ( as a symbol for resistance culture ) or Jaffa old city( as a Palestinian cultural symbol inside the economical modern capital of Israel ) , the Urbicide process inside the old city of Hebron is a historical cultural struggle between the Israelis who claim there owner ship of the city cultural heritage , and the Palestinian society that own and form that cultural heritage and form its physical aspect throw a continuous social process throw more than 1000 years .
Hebron or Al- khaleel in Arabic is one of the oldest living cities on earth , with a history that go back to more than 3000 years , but what gives her this historical importance is a cave inside it, called the Cave of the Patriarchs (Arabic & Hebrew name : "ma'arat al-Machpela"), is traditionally considered the place where Abraham the "Father/Leader of many" trips and a profit for the three religions Jewish , Islam and Christianity is Buried with his sons , where an important Islamic Mosque was built Or a Jewish Synagogue for the Jews.
This research here is not about the historical facts and claims about how owns the city Arabs or Jews , it’s about the measurements on the ground that was imposed by the Israeli occupation force and settlers inside the old city of Hebron that turned the old part of the city into a s ghost city , this part of the city that played an essential part in the social and economical life of the hall city of Hebron until few years ago .
The Urbicide inside the old city of Hebron which is marked by colonial settlements inside the urban fabric , that created a system of control that made the life of the society inside it unbearable , by making the daily experience of the local residents and visitors to the heart of the city a painful one filled with delays , security checks , and butting them into a vulnerable security conditions , cutting the connectivity with the main resource and means of daily life , shifting the economic center and life to new locations outside the infected part .
Along term process that seem to be slow but continuous ( as it started in 1968 ) and determined to change the city image and identity from an Arab city to a Jewish one, creating a condition very similar to the way that Tumor acts inside the infected parts of the city .
Prof. Leiven De Cauter describes Urbicide inside Hebron as "a very unique example, that took place in two different levels: the first level was the transformation of the old city itself to a ghost city where the Urbicide is less visible; the second level was the violence that was less occurred but stronger than any other shape beside the division of the district itself by the Israeli paths into small zones".[9]
Before we go further in discussing Urbicide inside the old city we must notice that it is a part of bigger process of Urbicide that affects the hole district of Hebron and west bank , Aby Jidi argues that this matrix is "applied by the matrix of control of the Israeli occupation , wich involves scientific planning and in effect , engineering of space to ensure total Israeli control of the Palestinian territories ", described by Eyal Wizman as the " politics of verticality "[10].
The politics of verticality is " the process of splitting a single territory into a series of territories , beginning as a set of ideas , policies , projects and regulations proposed by israel state technocrats , generals, archaeologists , planners and road engineers since the beginning of the occupation ". [11]
Sari Hanafi uses the Term : "Spacio-cide" to describe two levels of destruction, the micro level of the urban and the macro level of the territory in link to the Occupied Palestinian Territories. On the micro level he claims that Spacio-cide not only target cities but the whole landscape and built environment is under assault. From the rubble of devastated buildings, leveled hill sides to the flattened vegetation ,[12]
This issue can be seen in the ground by pass roads that surrounds the cities and forbid it is expansion , blocking the main roads in the face f Palestinians , the separation wall , the settlements that dominates & surrounds the cities and villages and control most of the Palestinian land in the west bank , a network of military posts , check points that controls the Palestinian movement on the ground , Industrial Parks , dump areas ,natural reserves areas , military orders and British colonial laws that help the Israelis to gain dominancy inside the Palestinian territories , in addition to the violence against humans and the physical components of the urban fabric like the destruction of houses , cutting down trees ( especially olive trees that play an important role on the Palestinian economy ) , Confiscation of lands for military and public uses are all parts of this matrix , that seems to be part of Allon Plan Proposed in 1968 which cuts most of the west bank land and pressing the Palestinian cities into tow enclaves and it is enhancement Allon Plus Plan that divide the tow enclaves into several smaller enclaves connected to each other by bass roads controlled by check points , and that what we can see realized after Oslo agreement 1 & 2.
Shape (1) : Allon Plus map , Source : Arij research center http://www.poica.org/editor/case_studies/marsam11.gif
Shape (2) : Oslo 2 redeployment agreement 1997 , source : Arij research center, www.poica.org
Doaa Abouelmagd tried in her research to high light the deferent levels of Urbicide on the district level of Hebron , using the previous points , she also tried to high light the main points of the colonization project inside the old city , but she didn’t reach to total understanding to hoe does these points form a total process strangling the old city of Hebron.
Shape(3): Hebron District Condition map , Source : http://www.poica.org/editor/case_studies/Hebron_wall_0607.jpg
The Process of Urbicide by strangulation in the level of the old district of Hebron :
First Step : Making A Big dominant Node Near by the City (Qiryat Arba settlement ) .
The story of Urbicide in the old city of Hebron started right after the occupation back in 1967 , by a group of extreme Zionist that entered Park Hotel in the center of the city and refused to get out of it , demanding from the Israeli government to let them Live inside the city , after months of delay they were moved out from the hotel to the Military compound (that was built during the British mandate ) to live in under the military protection ,
After months of trying to convince the Mayor of the city to give them a permission to build a Jewish quarter near the city ,( as it is against the Law and international legislation & a National betrayal Sheikh Ali Ja’abari argued).
This soon marked the first step in the colonization process inside Hebron and the destruction of its fabric , as in response to the extreme Zionist right calls marked by the Announcement of Menachem Liebman in a letter to “Ma’ariv” news paper : “The residents of Judea and Samaria (west Bank ) need to know who in fact rules in Judea and Samaria - the Government of Israel or Sheikh Ali Ja’abari - in order to know to know to whom to apply for a license to build a Kirya....”.[13]
In 1970 the Israeli government issued a permission to build Qiryat Arba settlement , in a strategic hill near the old city that dominate and controls the daily life .
In addition to dominancy this settlement formed a new urban fabric inside the city that is not controlled by the city municipality as it has its own municipal council and laws , in addition it marks the Israeli policies of seize the private Palestinian lands for military use ( Using British mandate Laws & Israeli Military Orders ) , then handling the lands to the settlers after that .
During the years Palestinians figured out that qiryat arba and all the settlements built after it are not regular residential districts , as they were surrounded by defensive walls that controls a bigger area of land , and were Palestinians are forbidden to enter except with special permissions from occupation army , and also they play a main military control role as they were surrounded by military posts , and an army + settlers Base to lunch attacks on the city .
Shape (4): Qiryat Arba settlement above the old town of Hebron , Source : http://lexicorient.com/e.o/ill/hebron01_large.jpg
2nd Step : Invading th e old City Fabric And Creating Strong Holds :
After settling in Qriyat arba , the next step was to cease control of Nodes inside the old City Fabric that could form Strong holds , April 26, 1979 – A group of 40 settlers from Kiryat Arba seize an UNRWA-financed elementary school and clinic situated in the old city of Hebron. With the assistance of the Israeli army and the Israeli Government, the settlers establish the colony of Beit Hadassah in the building (Daboya Building ), the Belding was built in the ottoman era(1870) .
The settlers side of the story claims that this building is abandoned since 1929 and was used before as a Jew Arab hospital ,their story of how the illegally dominate the building is told by The Jewish Community of Hebron: " A week and a half after Pesach a group of 10 women and 40 children left Kiryat Arba in the middle of the night, driven in a truck through the deserted streets of Hebron. They made their way to the abandoned Beit Hadassah building, originally built in the 1870s as a medical clinic for Jews and Arabs in Hebron, abandoned since the 1929 riots, The women and children, assisted by men, climb into Beit Hadassah through a back window, bringing with them only minimal supplies. They swept some of the decades-old dust from the floor, spread out some mattresses, and went to sleep" [14].
Shape (5) : Daboya Building (bet hadasa ) & Beit HaShisha settlement next to it , Source: http://hebron.web.aplus.net/english/data/images/Image/sites/beithadassah/beitha55.jpg
In the begging the Israeli government claimed that she oppose this action of the settlers , but she provided them with a security network that started before the settle inside , as there were An army Post in the Roof of the building which we can see in The Jewish Community of Hebron story : " When they awoke in the morning the children began singing: v'shavu banim l'gvulam - the children have returned home. Soldiers guarding on the roof of the building, coming down to investigate, were astounded at the sight of the women and children. Quickly they reported to their superiors, and soon the "Beit Hadassah women" were a national issue"[15].
But soon after a local resistance military operation that targeted the settlers near the Building killing 6 of them , the government officially recognized the settlement and decided to expand it , for security reasons as they claimed , they seized 13 Palestinian private homes next the building and demolished them , and after that they build another apartment settlement building called Beit HaShisha .
This process were repeated many time since that , were settlers start and the government give them a legal situation after a while , many buildings were colonized inside the old city most of the public use buildings owned by the municipality or State-owned ,
PASSIA ( Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs) , tried to put out a table for , HEBRON COLONIES DATELINE (last update 2002) :
June 5, 1967 - Israel occupies the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip, thereby becoming an occupying power subject to the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Israel is obliged to protect, rather than violate, the basic rights of the Palestinian civilian population.
April 4, 1968 - 88 radical Jews led by Rabbi Moshe Levinger [4] and posing as Swiss tourists, check into the Park Hotel in Hebron. The next day they announce their intention to establish a Jewish-only Israeli colony in the heart of Hebron. Rather than remove the settlers, then Prime Minister Eshkol approves the construction of what is now the Kiryat Arba colony and decides to temporarily house the settlers in a nearby army compound pending the colony's completion.
1971 - The colony of Kiryat Arba is established. Currently, 5,500 settlers occupy this colony.
April 26, 1979 - A group of 40 settlers from Kiryat Arba seize an UNRWA-financed elementary school situated in the old city of Hebron. With the assistance of the Israeli army and the Israeli Government, the settlers establish the colony of Beit Hadassah in the building.
October 26, 1981 - With the assistance of the Israeli army, settlers from Kiryat Arba seize the homes of three Palestinian families and establish the colony of Beit Schneersohn.
October 28, 1982 - With the assistance of the Israeli army, settlers demolish the homes of 12 Palestinian families in the old city of Hebron in order to establish a colony near Hebron's vegetable market. The colony of Beit Romano is established on the grounds of a Palestinian boys' school.
Shape (6):Beit Romano settlement over a Palestinian Girl school , Source: Hebron Rehabilitation Committee, Lecture about the Rehabilitation of the old town, Najah Uni . 2006
1983 - Israel approves the construction of the Givat Harsina colony situated less than 3 kilometers from Kiryat Arba, on land belonging to the city of Hebron. Only a few meters separate the houses of the colony from the Palestinian homes.
1983 - Israel establishes the illegal colony of Avraham Avinu behind the Palestinian vegetable market in the old city of Hebron, thus permanently closing down the market.
Shape (7) : Avraham Avinu Settlement , Source : : Hebron Rehabilitation Committee, Lecture about the Rehabilitation of the old town, Najah Uni . 2006
July 15, 1984 - Israel establishes the colony of Beit Haggai situated a few meters away from Palestinian homes in the south of Hebron.
August 9, 1984 - Israel approves the establishment of the colony of Ramat Yishai/Tel Rumeida built on a Muslim cemetery in the heart of the old city.
Shape (8) : Tel Rumeida settlement , Another dominant Point inside the City , Source : Hebron Rehabilitation Committee, Lecture about the Rehabilitation of the old town, Najah Uni . 2006
February 3, 1985 - with the assistance of the Israeli army, settlers destroy 23 almond trees to expand the Tel Rumeida colony.
In 1993, after the start of the Oslo peace process, Israel allocates approximately US$200,000 for the construction of additional floors in the illegal colonies of Beit Romano and Beit Schneersohn, in violation of the Oslo Agreements.
February 25, 1994 - U.S. born settler, Baruch Goldstein, opens fire on Muslim worshippers in the Haram al-Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs killing 29 Palestinians and injuring over a hundred others. In the following days, the Israeli army kills an additional 36 Palestinians.
September 1998 - Israel allocates approximately US$3,000,000 for the construction of permanent structures in the colony of Tel Rumeida to accommodate 75 illegal settlers.
October 2000 - Israel imposes a military curfew on the 20,000 Palestinians living in the old city of Hebron. To the current day, Palestinians have lived under 24-hour military curfew, denied the ability to leave their homes, attend schools and work.
May 2002 - Israel approves the expansion of the Tel Rumeida colony.
November 2002 - using the ambush of 9 soldiers of the Israeli army and 3 armed security agents as a pretext, Israel announces that it will destroy Palestinian homes in order to construct a "corridor" between the illegal colony of Kiryat Arba and the illegal colonies situated in the old city of Hebron. Three houses are immediately demolished. The order to build the corridor is temporarily halted by the Israeli High Court.
November 12, 2002 - Sharon announces that he will support the construction of another illegal colony in the old city which will contain 1,000 housing units.[16]
Shape (9): Map of settlements and Blocked roads inside the old City of Hebron, Source: Btselem , www.btselem.org/Shared/Images/Maps/200705_Hebron_Center_Map_Eng.jpg
The Israeli settlements concentrate in Five Locations inside the old City , But there security needs made those five Enclaves locks as a military Castles with all the shields ,gates, walls & military Towers around and above each one of them , which seems like an infected Human cell that compress and harass the ordinary cells around it and cut their life means .
Shape (10):Beit Romano settlement, you can see a partly view for the security managements inside and around it , Source : http://www.palestineremembered.com/GeoPoints/Hebron_534/Hebron-11311.jpg
Third step : Dividing the city into two Parts & The Matrix of Road Blocks, Gates and check Points :
Since the beginning the occupation force planted a number of check points & military posts inside the city , to make a matrix of control in addition to the military bases and compounds inside and around the city , and to provide the settlers with security , but the old city stayed as a one Urban Unit tell 17 January, 1997,
when " the Hebron Protocol was signed between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization for redeployment of Israeli forces in Hebron in accordance with Oslo II Interim Agreement of September 1995. The Protocol divided the city of Hebron into Hebron 1 and Hebron 2, better known as (H1 & H2). H2 Area covered some parts of Hebron Municipal area which included the Old city and Kiryat Arba's settlement" [17].
This Protocol that turned after a while into a trap for Palestinians , as it divide the old city into 2 parts , one under the Palestinian Authorities control And the other under the Israeli occupation control , and for security reasons as the Israeli claimed ( especially after the intifada in 9/2000) they divided the city physically into 2 parts , by a matrix of Road blocks , Check points , Gates and military Posts , estimated by ARIJ to be more than 113 blockade points inside and out skirts of area H2 cutting it totally from the rest of the city.
Shape(11) :the Palestinian Israeli protocol for Hebron, H1 and H2 areas , Source: Americans for Peace Now, Settlements in Focus, Hebron (Vol.1, Issue 13), http://www.peacenow.org/images/hebronmap.gif
Shape (12): road blocks and check points inside the old city , source : Judy Roberts, "The Late Shuhada Street, Hebron" , Challenge Magazine , Issue 102, March/April 2007 , www.challenge-mag.com/illustrations/0102/map_250_h.jpg
Most of the road blocks Gates and check points are Controlled With military posts above and inside Palestinian Houses ,in the name of security purposes making the life of Palestinians residents in those houses and those how pass near it very hard and filled of danger.
Shape (13): Qafesha family house , near the cave of Patriarchs Mosque , with a military post above it , Source : http://www.palestineremembered.com/GeoPoints/Hebron_534/Hebron-11302.jpg
Hanadi Badr a Palestinian Artist that lives in Canada , make a comment for a photo of a military Gate next to Daboya Building (bet hadasa ) Says : this photo sent me back 25 years , when I was basing the same place , there was now briars , now blocked gates that was installed to protect settlers that live inside the old City ,they are Like Cancer (Tumor) that there is no one who can stop it , these gates makes a gate for an enclave of the most Extremist and violent settlers , on our land expelling us out .[18]
ٍShape (14): Road Gate in the front of Daboya Building (bet hadasa ), Source :http://www.palestineremembered.com/GeoPoints/Hebron_534/Hebron-10632.jpg
Shape (15): An Israeli Soldier inspecting a Palestinian kid going to his school inside the old city , Source : Jerusalem News Paper , 21/11/2005
4th step : Blocking and Closing The Roads in The Face of Palestinians :
Cutting the life routs , strangling the Palestinian life were policies of both settlers and occupation army , the settlements inside the cities became bases to harass Palestinians and cut the roads , one of the first policies was throwing Garbage , stones and even urine in the heads of Palestinians who basses the old market road , Palestinians in there seek to protect them self , Installed roof fence .
Curfew policy and market block military orders for a certain time was used against Palestinians in the Jewish festival and holydays and also for security reasons and as a total punishment tool after resistance events in or from the city .
al-Ibrahimi mosque(the Cave of Patriarchs) massacre in 25/2/ 1994, resulted in the killing of over 29 Palestinian worshipers ,by a settler from Qiryat Arba, formed the start of a new occupation policy in the city ,
Shape (16): Roof Fence Inside the old city market , Source : http://www.palestineremembered.com/GeoPoints/Hebron_534/Hebron-14670.jpg
Marked by the long term closers and security measures that we can see in al-Shuhada street in the heart of the old city which was closed since the massacre for " Palestinian " security reasons , this measures increased after the year 2000 intifada , were total parts of the city and markets , roads were closed in the face of Palestinians for long times.
Shape (17): al-Shuhada commercial street , Source : http://www.palestineremembered.com/GeoPoints/Hebron_534/Hebron-11309.jpg
D. Khalid Qawasma director of Hebron Rehabilitation Committee Describes the current condition inside the old city of Hebron , he says : " the occupation turned the old city into a Jewish quarter , were Apartheid separation policy is applied , Palestinians can't use their Buildings , open there shops , or even use the roads for their movement, he says that for example the old city was under Curfew for 585 years during the first 3 years of Al-Aqsa intifada (started in 9/2000) , and that was in addition to a closer submitted by the occupation army in most of the markets and shops inside the old city .[19]
Shape(18): Ashalalah street Road Block(17/1/2007) , Source: http://www.palestineremembered.com/GeoPoints/Hebron_534/Hebron-11320.jpg
Shape (19) : map for Part of the Road blocks inside the old city of Hebron, Source : http://www.poica.org/editor/case_studies/Hebron%20report%20photo%2
Arwa Sultan A Palestinian that lives near Bethlehem describes (by Photos and writing ) her journey to Al – Ibrahemee Mosque ( the Cave of Patriarchs) , she says:" after you reach the market area where you leave the car , you can notice the busy movement of consumers in the market , this movement and loud voices decreases as you head toward the Mosque , after you reach the first Israeli check point you can see most of the shops closed , you continue your way you can see the old city market totally closed , Garbage over the roof fence , tell you reach the first military gate outside the mosque , you bass the first one , then the second one few meters a head , then you finally reach the third one on the Palestinian entrance that was used after the massacre and in all these gates you must get physically inspected "[20].
Shape (20):
Leaving the Car in the Busy Market , Source : http://www.travel4arab.com
Shape (21): Heading toward the old city and the movement decrease , Source : http://www.travel4arab.com
Shape (22): Heading forward the movement decrease more , Source : http://www.travel4arab.com
Shape (23): Reaching the first Israeli checkpoint in the front of Beit Romano settlement , Source : http://www.travel4arab.com
Shape (24): after the checkpoint most of the shops are closed and a very light movement , Source : http://www.travel4arab.com
Shape (25):the totally closed Main old market inside the heart the old city (by Military order) , Source : http://www.travel4arab.com
Shape (26):Garbage thrown by settlers , hanging in the roof fence of Main old market Source : http://www.travel4arab.com
Shape (27):the first Military Gate outside the Mosque , Source : http://www.travel4arab.com
Shape (28):Inside the first Military Gate outside the Mosque , Source : http://www.travel4arab.com
Shape (29):Inside the Second Military Gate outside the Mosque , Source : http://www.travel4arab.com
Shape (30):Inside the Tird Military Gate outside the Mosque , Source : http://www.travel4arab.com
5th step :New Roads To Connect The Enclaves with Each other and turning the Palestinian districts into enclaves :
in order to complete the matrix of control inside the H2 old part of the city , wish was Named officially by the Israeli Government after 1997 agreement "the Jewish Quarter" , the occupation army started the plans of opening new roads (corridors ) that creates a better connectivity between the deferent enclaves inside the city , turning the Palestinian homes into enclaves , destroying the historical urban fabric , and cutting the last connections for the Palestinians with the heart of the old city As those roads are only for the Israeli use and Palestinians forbidden to enter it .
after a resistance action that targeted the settlers in the road leading to the Cave Mosque from Qiryat Arba settlement in 2002 , the Israelis for security reasons again but a plan to make a new road that connects the mosque with the settlements in , this road called the Prayers road , clamming that road will make the distance shorter between the settlement center and the mosque from around 3 km to 800 meters ; "Once this road is finished, the Ibrahimi mosque will be within a walk able reach from Kiriayt Arba'" the settlers claimed [21] .
the problem in the road was that it goes directly throw the ancient Jaber residential quarter destroying 11 600 years old Mamluk and Othman houses, the existing same section of the road is wider and only 100 meters longer , many alternatives that could avoid the destruction of the old houses could be issued and form even better Security conditions for the settlers , but the Israeli settlers <,but the Israeli government insisted to open it and the houses were destroyed . The road is completely devoted to Israeli settlers .
Shape (31): The New road through Jaber Quarter , source : ARIJ, Israeli " Prayers" Road" built on ruins of ancient Palestinian houses in the old city of Hebron, The Applied Reserach Institute, Jerusalem, 7/9/2004, www.poica.org
Shape (32): The New road old road and a proposed by the author road , source : ARIJ, , www.poica.org
Shape (33): Destroying one of the ancient Houses in Jaber residential quarter , Source : Hebron Rehabilitation Committee, Lecture about the Rehabilitation of the old town, Najah Uni . 2006
Another road plan was realized in the ground , as in 2005 the Israeli military made an order of land confiscation for the project , that connects the strategic dominant settlement of Tel Rumeida with Beit Romano settlement down the hill , this road goes directly throw the Muslim cemetery and destroys historical artificate sites up in the hill .
Shape (34) : the new road that connects the settlement of Tel Rumeida with Beit Romano settlement , Source: http://www.poica.org/editor/case_studies/Heb%20-%20Photo%203.jpg
D. Khalid Qawasma director of Hebron Rehabilitation Committee in an interview ARIJ field worker said , in reaction to the roads plans : "What is going on is another crime being committed by the Israeli occupation authorities against the history and architectural legacy of the Palestinian people in Hebron. I call upon concerned international organizations and bodies, practically UNESCO, to assume responsibilities and pressure Israel to halt its criminal acts against human culture and history in Hebron's old city".[22]
6th step : Manipulating with laws , Cloning Fake papers and making Huge money proposals for the Palestinians family to leave :
From the beginning of the settlement process inside Hebron , many tactics were used to gain control on the lands and houses of Palestinians , like seizing the lands for Military or security reasons , then handling it to the settlers , entering state owned buildings and taking control over it un legally with the protection of army , seizing empty abandoned or under construction Palestinian buildings with fake papers and the Israeli police sends the case to the Israeli courts that take years and years of dealing with it to decide wither that is true or not , even after the Israeli courts take a decision , the Israeli police will refuse to execute it in the ground delaying it for years , and making the assault a reality in the ground , except in few cases that the Political elite intervene after a big presser from the united states or the European Union .
Another way is trying to convince the Palestinian house owners throw Mediator to sell or along term rent the house for the settlers for Huge prices , Idrees Zahdih (59) Years old how lives in a small house in al-Shuhada street says " that Anat Kohen one of the extremist settlers leader offered him a 3 Million dollars for his hose that worth no more than 26 thousand dollars ,and when he refused to sell the house she offered him half a million dollar gust to leave the street without selling it ". [23]
The last case in Hebron were Al Rajabi building , that lies in a strategic point that connects the qireat arba settlement with the setelments inside the old city ,in 19 /3/2007 a group of settlers moved in Al Rajabi building which was under construction , calming that they bought the house from its owner , providing cloned and faked papers , in 16/4/2008 the original owner of the house went to the Israeli court , after long debates , the Israeli supreme court take a decision to move them out from the house , by 16/11/2008 as a dead line ,
During this time this building became a Military base surrounded by fences and soldiers and settlers , the police refused to realize the court order , but after international intervention the Israeli government ordered the police to evacuate the settlers by force , how shoed a big resistance ,
The settlers were eventually evacuated from the building , but the building is still under the occupation army control for security reasons tell this day.
Shape (35): map for Al Rajabi building location , Source : http://www.poica.org/editor/case_studies/Al_Rajabi_House_12_08.JPG
7th Step : Changing the residents experiences , and making Palestinian life's un bearable :
Before 1997 the old city of Hebron had about 40000 Palestinian residents in , in late 2004 Palestinians estimate that only 20000 Palestinians residents are still living there , later unofficial estimates talks about only 8-9000 Palestinian citizens are still living there and the settler numbers had increased from 800 – 1200 settlers with no less than 2000 soldiers providing them with security network in 2006.
Using all the mentioned above tactics and other tactics Israel was apple to make a major demographic change inside the city , even the Palestinians launched a continuous camping to rehabilitee the old city buildings of Hebron throw the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee , and giving the people there many financial and social privileges,
One of the most effective weapons inside Hebron is the assaults and harasses launched by the Extreme wing of settlers most of them are members by terrorist movements forbidden by the Israeli government like Kahana Hai ,
Those groups uses the Israeli laws that forbid the Israeli army from taking any measures against Israeli citizens even if he want , and giving him the full authority to arrest , assault or kill Palestinians , and give the authorities against the settlers to the Israeli civil police how did not show presence in the city for security reasons as they claimed.
So those settlers use the army shield to attack , destroy and burn Palestinian houses ,harass and assault the Palestinian citizens , the TIPPH observation force and even other Israeli citizens from the left political wing,
Shape(36):ABC news channel reporter Amer Al Jabari being attacked by the army and settlers in the same time and in the presence of Israeli police officer , Source: http://www.palestineremembered.com/GeoPoints/Hebron_5186/Hebron-33853.jpg
For example LRC (ARIJ) has documented the violations committed by Al Rajabi Building Settlers against Palestinians and their properties between the issuing of the eviction order and its implementation. The following table lists these violations in chronological order:
| Date | Neighborhood in Hebron City | The Violation |
| Nov. 19th, 2008 | Wadi Al Nasara, Wadi Al Hussein, Al Ras, Al Jabari Neighborhood. | The colonists, mostly masked and armed with guns, clubs and iron pipes, attacked an unspecified number of Palestinian houses in the said locations. Attacked houses includes those belonging to Nafez Jabari, Bassam, Suleiman and Naser Fahed Al Jabari, Mohammad Nu’aman Jaber, Mohammad Ayyoub Al Jabari, Salman and Areef Awwad Jabari, Issa Jaber, Ghaleb Ragheb Jabari, Munther Dana, Hafez Jabari, Kayed Mansour Jabari, Awni Dana, Ayman Mohammad Rabee Jabari, etc. |
| Nov. 20th, 2008 | Wadi Al Hussein, Jaber Neighborhood, Al Salayma Neighborhood and the vicinity of the Ibrahimi Mosque | Israeli occupation soldiers surrounded the area and took over building tops while colonists threw stones and brok the windows of Palestinian houses in the said locations. |
| Nov. 20th, 2008 | Wadi Al Nasara, the vicinity of Al Rajabi Building and Jabal Jalis | The uprooting of tens of olive trees in addition to the breaking of the windows of 20 cars and throwing stones at 50 Palestinian houses. The windows of Al Ras Mosque were broken while anti-Islam slurs were scrabbled on its doors and walls. |
| Nov. 22nd, 2008 | Wadi Al Hussein, Al Salayma Neighborhood, the vicinity of the Ibrahimi Mosque and Al Rajabi Building | The Israeli occupation forces occupied five houses in the vicinity of the Building. About 20,000 colonists ascended to the City of Hebron in support of the colonists of Al Rajabi Building. Incidents of stone throwing at Palestinians and their properties were reported. |
| Nov. 24th, 2008 | Wadi Al Hussein and the vicinity of Al Rajabi Building | The steps taken by the Israeli occupation forces and the attacks carried out by the colonist transformed the area into a state of undeclared curfew as none of the Palestinians went out of their homes and none headed to work. |
| Nov. 26th, 2008 | Wadi Al Hussein, Wadi Al Nasara, the vicinity of Al Rajabi House and some parts of the Old City of Hebron. | Stone throwing at Palestinians in the said locations in addition to slashing the tires of a number of cars. |
| Nov. 26th, 2008 | The Old City of Hebron and the vicinity of Al Rajabi House | Attacking a number of Palestinian houses including those belonging to Ghaleb Mansour Jabari, the brother Majdi, Mansour, Fayeq, Tariq and Najih Al Jabari, Bassam Al Jabari, Jamal, Jameel and Abdel Hai Abu Sueifan, etc. The series of attacks led to the injury of the 61-year old Munawwar Jabari and Mr. Joma’a Jabari. They were both transported to the Governmental Hospital in Hebron. |
| Nov. 27th, 2008 | The vanity of Al Rajabi Building | Attacking Palestinian houses with Molotov cocktails and stones. |
| Nov. 29th, 2008 | Wadi Al Hussein, Al Ras, Wadi Al Nasara | The injury of at least 15 Palestinians including 3 children due to attacks by hundreds of colonists rampaging throughout the said locations. The injured included Mr. Issa Amero, the representative of B’tselem Israeli human rights organization. Palestinian houses were also damaged as a result of a series of stone throwing incidents. |
| Nov.30th, 2008 | The vicinity of Al Rajabi Building and Wadi Al Hussein | The breaking of the windows of 23 Palestinian cars in addition to throwing stones at Palestinian houses in the said locations and desecrating the cemetery. |
| Nov. 30th, 2008 | The vicinity of Al Rajabi Building | The injury of 5 Palestinians including 2 children with varying injuries. |
| Dec. 1st, 2008 | Al Sahla Street near the Ibrahimi Mosque | The injury of 4 Palestinians due to dog bites when a colonist released his trained dog at a group of Palestinians in the said location. The injured were later transported to the hospital. |
| Dec.2nd, 2008 | Al Ghussein Neighborhood, located east of the City of Hebron | The injury of 5 Palestinians due to attacks carried out by colonists and their dogs in the late hours of the night at Palestinian houses in the Neighborhood. |
| Dec. 3rd, 2008 | Bab Al Zawiya, Al Jabari Neighborhood, Al Ras | The injury of the 2-year-old Sundus Al Jabari and her father, Mr. Nizam Al Jabari with multiple bodily injuries due to colonists’ attacks. Also, Israeli occupation forces carried out an incursion into the center of the City of Hebron. Teargas bombs were extensively used. |
| Dec.4th, 2008 | Wadi Al Hussein | Attempting to set Khaled Ibn Al Waleed Mosque ablaze while Israeli Special Forces began evicting Israeli colonists from Al Rajabi Building. |
| Dec.4th, 2008 | Wadi Al Hussein and the vicinity of Al Rajabi House. | The injury of 3 Palestinians including the aging Abdel Hai Matariya when a colonist opened fire at him at close range. |
| Dec. 4th, 2008 | Tel Rumeida neighborhood in central Hebron City. | Setting a mosque ablaze in Tel Rumeida as colonists threw a Molotov cocktail at it. |
| Dec.4th, 2008 | The Old City of Hebron | The burning of a number of houses in the Old City of Hebron. |
| Dec. 4th, 2008 | Bab Al Zawiya, the Old City and the vicinity of Al Rajabi Building | The serious injury of a Palestinian elder due to the colonists’ attacks. He was later transported to an Israeli hospital due to the seriousness of his injury. Hundreds of colonists tried to reach Bab Al Zawiya neighborhood despite the fact that it is located in the H1 area of the City of Hebron. |
| Dec. 4th, 2008 | The Old City of Hebron | Rampage carried out by colonists in the Old City of Hebron leading to the burning of a number of Palestinian houses in this section of the City. |
| Dec. 6th, 2008 | The Old City of Hebron | Colonists from the colony of Abraham Avino burn part of the house of Mr. Nidal Al Owaiwi after damaging most of its furniture. Mr. Al Owaiwi kept all of his 9 children in one room in fear of any further attack from the colonists. |
Table Source : ARIJ, Al Rajabi Building in Hebron – The Israeli Colonial War, The Applied Reserach Institute, Jerusalem, 2/1/2009, www.poica.org
ARIJ argue :" Over a period of three weeks of continued attacks by the colonist, the attacks came to a peak during Al Adha Feast while Israeli occupation forces provided protection for the aggressive colonists. This protection has led to an increase in the number of such attacks. A number of Palestinian families were forced to leave their houses by the occupation forces under the pretext of protecting them !!!". [24]
Shape (37): A Palestinian teacher and student being attacked by the Israeli army in there way to there school inside the old city , Source: http://www.palestineremembered.com/GeoPoints/Hebron_5186/Hebron-24372.jpg
In their seek to have some kind of daily life Palestinian citizens uses alternative network of roads that goes throw private houses yards ,jumping from roof to roof , using leaders to climb some walls to reach their destinations instead of the blocked roads were they need special permits from the army and well be harassed by settlers and delayed for hours , the irony that the Israeli force has intervened in issuing a military order for a Palestinian house owner to let people go throw his house instead of opening al shuhda street for Palestinian passengers ,
One of the most Famous stories in Hebron is the story of Tayseer Abu Isha family house which became an enclave inside Tel Rumeida settlement , refusing to let out there houses or to sell it to the settlers , being attacked 24 hours a day, forbidden from regular movement in and out the house , and making the house as a big Gail surrounded by fences from every side to prevent settlers from destroying the house , Tayseer argue :" if you forget to lock the door for a while the settlers will enter the house and destroy it ".[25]
Shape (38):Settler curses Fida' Abu 'Ayesha in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood of Hebron. Filmed by Fida' Abu 'Ayesha, 14, camera distribution project, 4 July 2006., Source: B'Tselem, http://www.btselem.org/Shared/Images/Photos/200607_Cursing_Settler_in_Hebron.jp
Shape(39):Abu 'Ayesha Fortified home in Hebron. Photo: Musa Abu Hashhash, B'Tselem, Source : http://www.btselem.org/Shared/Images/Photos/20050508_Settlers_Violence_in_Tel_Rumeida_al_Aisha_Family.jpg
Shape (40): Map of tel Rumaida Settlement , Source: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/130/370007686_7cdb9fe04c.jpg?v=0
Conclusion :
Urbicide in the old city of Hebron is A very unique case that have many layers and measures that formed a long term Urbicide process , started in 1967 this process have too many aspects that can't be discussed in one research,
This process is getting more and more complicated with time , the main goals of it is changing the city Identity from an Arab Islamic city into a Jewish one , it is a conflict about the ownership of history and roots more than how owns the space , even controlling and dominating the space is one of the main aspects of the process .
The process of Urbicide acts in many levels , the physical destruction of the city fabric used by the Israelis from time to time, but its size stays limited if we compare it with other Urbicide cases around the world , but the other aspects of Urbicide that can be clear as a result of the matrix of control that strangled the old city and turned it into a ghost city , destroying its social life and cultural heritage, and bushing it is residents out of it .
The process of Urbicide in Hebron is managed by the Occupation army and government with the settlers who share role in harassing and assaulting Palestinian residents , using the British mandate rules , Military orders ,a network of road blocks , check points , military posts , settlers special roads , strong holds that dominate the city and expansion plans .
The identity battle can be seen even by implementing new names for the places inside the city and outside it , and can be clear in the process of changing the mosque into a Synagogue in the first day of occupation.
Shape(41) : a draw for an artists from the settler . Used in Hebron Calendar Issued by The Jewish Community of Hebron , 2008, this drawing was marked by a label :(Our Estate In the Hands Of Others ) , Source :WWW.Hebron,com
The End
[1] Martin Coward “ community as heterogeneous ensemble: Mostar and Multiculturalism ”, ISA annualconvention , Feb 2001
[2] Dr. Nurhan Abujidi & Han Verschure , Military Occupation as Urbicide by " Construction & Destruction " : The Case of Nablus Palestine , 2006
[3]Doaa Abouelmagd, Hebron as a killed city, Urbicide course final paper , VUB ,2008, Page: 2
[4] Lewis Mumford , What is a City? , Architectural Record, 1937
[5]Richard Ingersoll, "THE DEATH OF THE CITY AND, THE SURVIVAL OF URBAN LIFE", page : 93, http://www.cccb.org/rcs_gene/richardingersoll.pdf
[6] Doaa Abouelmagd, Hebron as a killed city, Urbicide course final paper , VUB ,2008, Page:1
[7] Nurhan Abujidi & Han Verschure , Military Occupation as Urbicide by " Construction & Destruction " : The Case of Nablus Palestine , 2006 , page: 196 .
[8]Stephen Graham, ‘Clean territory’: Urbicide in the West Bank, open Democracy , 7 August, 2002, page: 1, http://www.opendemocracy.net/
[9] Abouelmagd, Hebron as a killed city, Urbicide course final paper , VUB ,2008, Page:1
[10] Nurhan Abujidi & Han Verschure , Military Occupation as Urbicide by " Construction & Destruction " : The Case of Nablus Palestine , 2006 , page: 214 .
[11] Nurhan Abujidi & Han Verschure , Military Occupation as Urbicide by " Construction & Destruction " : The Case of Nablus Palestine , 2006 , page: 214 .
[12]
[13] Chaim Simons, KIRYAT ARBA IS A FACT, 2003, http://www.geocities.com/ChaimSimons/hebronsettler17.html
[14] Unknown author , Beit Hadassah and Beit HaShisha, The Jewish Community of Hebron , 9/4/2006, http://www.hebron.com/english/article.php?id=227
[15] Unknown author , Beit Hadassah and Beit HaShisha, The Jewish Community of Hebron , 9/4/2006, http://www.hebron.com/english/article.php?id=227
[16] PASSIA team , HEBRON COLONIES DATELINE, PASSIA, 2002, http://www.nad-plo.org/view_area_page.php?view=facts_others_f13p&css=2#footer7
[17] ARIJ, A revised route of the Israeli Segregation wall to increase the area confiscated from Hebron Governorate, The Applied Reserach Institute, Jerusalem, 15/11/2007, www.poica.org
[18] Unknown Author , Hebron photos , 31/5/2007 , http://www.palestineremembered.com/GeoPoints/Hebron_534/ar/Picture_10632.html
[19] Alquds news paper auditor , Settlement and Judaization suffering of the old town of Hebron , Alquds news paper, 8/10/2008 , http://www.alquds.com/node/107934
[20] Arwa Sultan, an excursion inside Hebron Palestine ,Source : www.bafree.net/forums/showthread.php?p=532730
[21] ARIJ, Israeli " Prayers" Road" built on ruins of ancient Palestinian houses in the old city of Hebron, The Applied Reserach Institute, Jerusalem, 7/9/2004, www.poica.org
[22] ARIJ, Israeli " Prayers" Road" built on ruins of ancient Palestinian houses in the old city of Hebron, The Applied Reserach Institute, Jerusalem, 7/9/2004, www.poica.org
[23] Alquds news paper auditor , Settlement and Judaization suffering of the old town of Hebron , Alquds news paper, 8/10/2008 , http://www.alquds.com/node/107934
[24] ARIJ, Al Rajabi Building in Hebron – The Israeli Colonial War, The Applied Reserach Institute, Jerusalem, 2/1/2009, www.poica.org
[25] Shrouq assad , Palestine under scope , Hebron old city , Aljazeera tv network , 27/11/2003, http://aljazeera.net
A road Sign Near Nablus west bank
