Israeli Oppression in Hebron - A Case History of Separation, Forced Displacement and Terror
by Stephen Lendman
B’Tselem is the independent Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied (Palestinian) Territories (OPT) based in Jerusalem with a well-deserved reputation for accuracy and integrity. It was founded in 1989 to “document and educate the Israeli public, policymakers (and concerned people everywhere) about human rights violations in the (OPT), combat the phenomenon of denial prevalent among the Israeli public (and elsewhere), and create a human rights culture in Israel” to convince government officials to respect human rights and comply with international law.
Its human rights work is wide-ranging, carefully researched, and thoroughly cross-checked with relevant documents and other official government sources. It also relies on additional information from Israeli, Palestinian, and other human rights organizations. From them, B’Tselem publishes scores of reports, some quite comprehensive in scope. One of them was 107 pages in length and prepared in May, 2007. It’s titled: “Ghost Town - Israel’s Separation Policy and Forced Eviction of Palestinians from the Center of Hebron.” It recently came out in print form and is available on request.
This article summarizes its findings. They’re from a joint effort between B’Tselem and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), Israel’s leading human and civil rights organization and the only one addressing all rights and liberties issues. ACRI was founded in 1972, is independent and nonpartisan, and leads the struggle for these issues in Israel and the OPT through litigation, legal advocacy, education, and public outreach. ACRI believes civil and human rights are universal. They must be “an integral part of democratic community building and…. a unifying force in Israeli public life” for everyone, especially those most marginalized, disadvantaged and currently persecuted by state authorities.
Hebron is a notable example. The study findings below present a case history of what Palestinians under Israeli occupation have endured for decades from a state-imposed policy of separation, forced displacement and terror. They show how Israel is colonizing Palestine incrementally through new and expanding settlements on illegally seized land. The human toll is horrific - “protracted and severe harm to Palestinians (from) some of the gravest human rights violations” against them that go unaddressed in the mainstream and continue unabated.
Hebron’s City Center is a case study example. It was once a thriving commercial and residential area. Today it’s a “Ghost Town” because Israel destroyed its fabric of life through a state-imposed policy of land seizures, extended curfews, harsh restrictions on free movement and unaddressed violence. [more]