Why is nothing being said about this in the media?

[Igel]

5. Hebron's going to be a tough nut to crack.

Machpelah can't easily be divided, and even under Israeli rule Jews have been denied entrance there. Note that Hebron had a Jewish population since before the Exile until the British moved most of the families out under the anti-Jewish riots and campaign of the 1930s, and the last one moved out just before the Partition in anticipation of even more anti-Jewish violence. In other words, the old Jewish Quarter was cleansed ethnically. (Let's just never call it ethnic cleansing. One's good, the other's unmitigated evil.)

Much of the territory is, or was, waqf, and some hardliners would insist that since the real law was Ottoman law, not later foreign law, that the waqf is still in effect. Esp. since that means it has to be Jew-free.

Note there are settlements that aren't Hebron proper next to these areas. Some of the land is just reclaiming former Jewish territory that was "nationalized" by Palestinians. Some of the land is along the route to get to Machpelah, and prevents Arabs, mostly Muslims, from pelting visitors with stones to keep them away from a late-but-still-ancient Muslim shrine.


Just getting enough information to be able to form an adequate view of events is tough. Then toss in the moral issues. Then toss in identity issues.

The one thing that crosses my mind at this point is, "Isn't there something else I could be doing?" Oh, I know. There are those double stops in the Conus concerto diligently awaiting my attention. And some Max Headroom episodes to watch with the offspring.