The Old City of Hebron: Can It be Saved?
Author(s): Patricia Sellick
Source: Journal of Palestine Studies, Vol. 23, No. 4 (Summer, 1994), pp. 69-82
Published by: University of California Press on behalf of the Institute for Palestine Studies
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THE OLD CITY OF HEBRON:
CAN IT BE SAVED?
PATRICIASELLICK
On 25 February
1994,a Jewish
settler
Palestinigunneddowntwenty-nine
ans at prayer
in theHaramal-Ibrahimi
in Hebron.Thatthekillingstook
placein themosqueenclosing
thetomboftheProphet
Abraham,
revered
by
bothJewsandMuslims,
inJeruis symbolic:
rather
liketheHaramal-Sharif
salem,theHaramal-Ibrahimi
ofAbraham)polarizesrather
than
(sanctuary
unitesthetwopeoplesthatholditdear.Thekillings
themost
are,assuredly,
dramatic
in Hebron. But
conflict
consequenceof theJewish-Palestinian
thereis another
consequence
ofthatsameconflict
thatreceives
scantattention-theseriousdeterioration
oftheold city.
Thisdeterioration
has long-term
implications
forthePalestinians,
since
theold cityofHebronforms
an important
partofthePalestinian
andindeed
theMuslimheritage.It is one ofthefourholiestcitiesin Islam,alongwith
Mecca,Medina,andJerusalem.
Itis alsoan extremely
mediewell-preserved
valMuslimtownthathas undergone
littlechangein thelasttwo
remarkably
centuries.
Since1967theold cityofHebronhas beena contested
space:forJewish
itis a builtform
Israelistheoldcityis a sitetobe builtupon,forPalestinians
theirturath
orculture).Thecollecembodying
(collective
memory,
heritage,
ofJewishIsraelisis notembodiedin thebuildings
oftheold
tivememory
Patricia
Sellickworkedin HebronfromSeptember
1989
1987toSeptember
withtheHebronUniversity
for
Graduates
Union(UGU), and has returned
one-month
visitssincethen.TheoldcityofHebronwasthesubjectof
yearly
in thepoliticsdepartment
hermaster's
at theSchoolofOriental
dissertation
andAfrican
ofLondon.
StudiesoftheUniversity
StudiesXXIII,no. 4 (Summer1994), pp. 69-82.
Journal
ofPalestine
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JOURNALOF PALESTINE STUDIES
70
to Hebron.The
city,whichare Islamic,butin thefactofJewsreturning
theJewish
from
themselves;
toa pastthatis inseparable
settlers
areoriented
By
and monopolistic.
discontinuous
in Hebronis therefore
Israelinarrative
narrative
of
Palestinian
politculture
revealsa
contrast,
theprismofmaterial
and complex.
ical lifethatis continuous
sinceHeopposition
intocritical
havebeenbrought
Thesetwonarratives
settlers,
backedbythe
ofa planbyJewish
bron'sold citybecamethetarget
cloprolonged
occupation-with
it. Undermilitary
Israelistate,
to"Judaize"
whohaveoccupiedbuildbysettlers
suresandcurfews
anddailyharassment
violentmeans-theold cityhas progressively
andoften
ingsbyextrajudicial
and deserted
place,
declinedfroma bustling
market
townto a melancholy
oil drums.
streets
sealedoffwithcinderblock,razorwire,andconcrete-filled
its buildings
neglected,
has been deliberately
The old city'sinfrastructure
economicandphysical
allowedtodeteriorate.
Faced,too,witha worsening
oftheold cityhavemovedto
inhabitants
manyofthePalestinian
situation,
tomake
needofsupport
arenowin desperate
saferareas.Thoseremaining
to
efforts
of thesettlers
theirhomeshabitableand to resisttheaggressive
demolish
oftheold city.
and replaceentirequarters
TheOld Cityand ItsDepopulation
before
kilometers
Jerusalem
to Hebronclimbssomethirty
The roadfrom
intothewadiwheretheoldcitywasbuilt.Attheheadof
suddenly
dropping
fromwhomthetowntookits
thewadiis thesiteofthetombofAbraham,
theFriendofGod. It was theMamluks,
Arabicname: Khalilal-Rahman,
whoruledPalestinefrom1250to 1517,whobuiltthemassivesquaremaplaceofdry
sonry
shrinearoundthetombin 1320,anditwasatthismeeting
slopesrisingfromthemthattheMamluktownflourvalleysandthegentler
wholeofdomesand
above,theold cityis a harmonious
ished.Viewedfrom
localstone;onceinside,one findsa fascinating
flatroofsofthedun-colored
ofcloselypackedhouses,vaultedarcades,winding
passages,exassemblage
khans(inns),zawiyas(Sufi
markets,
ternalstaircases
and innercourtyards,
Whiletheintermosques,schools,andpublicfountains.
hostels),
hospices,
is inestimaestoftheoldcitytothestudent
ofIslamicandArabarchitecture
file"fora
ble-one historian
has describedHebronas an "open research
intimate.
city'-thescaleremains
medieval
mentioned
MuchoftheMamluktownsurvives:
by
manyofthebuildings
Mujiral-Dinin hisbookon thepeopleofHethefifteenth-century
traveler
from
the
buildings
in 1987.2 Therearealsosignificant
bronwerecatalogued
Ottoman
period(1517-1917),as wellas someofmixedMamlukand Ottobeingformed
by
manancestry.
Theoldcityhasno wallsperse,itsperimeter
buildingsbrokenby fivegatedentrances.Ottomanand even
contiguous
oftheoldcityintotheneighborMamluk
buildings
spilloutsidetheconfines
of
andbuilding
patterns
architecture
wherethesametraditional
ingquarters,
and passagesprevail.
narrowstreets
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OLD CITY OF HEBRON: REPORT
71
Today,muchoftheold cityis abandoned.The population
figures
speak
volumes:in 1967 therewere7,500 Palestinian
inhabitants
in thefifteen
quarters
comprising
theold city.By 1970 thepopulation
had declinedto
6,000,by1985to 1,620,andby1990to1,501.3A recent
survey
foundthata
mere270buildings
inthatsquaremileofdensely
builthousesarestillinhabited,andthatmuchofthespaceevenin thesewas notin use: 40 percent
of
theupperfloors,
and80 percent
oftheground
floors,
lievacant.4Theabandonment
andadvancing
decay,addedtothelackofinfrastructure,
makethe
old cityparticularly
vulnerable
to thesettlers'
aggressive
efforts
at Judaization.Thisarticle
focuseson thecity'sdecline,and thenexaminesefforts
by
Palestinians
to rehabilitate
thisvitalpartoftheirheritage.
InternalDynamics
A number
offactors
areresponsible
forthedramatic
declineoftheoldcity
ofthe
since1967. Certainly,
theexternal
factors-most
notably
thecreation
StateofIsraelin 1948andtheoccupation
of1967-dwarfall others.Butthe
internal
dynamics
ofHebron'spoliticalculture
havealso playeda role. The
the
oftheold cityhas becomeself-perpetuating
and immobilizing;
poverty
outflow
itselfhas had a demoralizing
effect.
Peoplewithhigherincomesrarelyvisitthe
old city:whena class of twenty
fee-payingThe povertyof theold city
inJuly has becomeself-perpetuating
students
aged16 to24 wasquestioned
1989,onlytwohadvisitedtheold citywithin and immobilizing;
theoutflow
thelasttwelvemonths.5
Thosewhostilllive itselfhas had a demoralizing
thereare primarily
fromthelowestincome effect.
ofthe270 families
remaingroups.A survey
ingin theold cityshowed20 percent
ofthehouseholdheadsunemployed,
in transport
in services
orentertain31 percent
working
orcrafts,
17 percent
in agriculture
werehousewives.
or trade.Ten percent
ment,and 14 percent
A mere2 percent
werein professional
fields.6
is thelow levelofamenities
revealedin thesamesurEquallysignificant
unitsoftheold city,255 haveno running
vey.Ofthe270 inhabited
water,
236 haveno bathfacilities,
50 haveno kitch83 do nothaveprivate
toilets,
ofthis
ensatall while33 havesharedkitchens,
andso on. Thesignificance
ofamenities
withcertain
interacts
poverty
aspectsofHebronsociety,
particuwiththe
is patrilocal,
ofwomen.Becausethemarriage
larlythestatus
system
husband
thehousetowhichthebridemoves,youngwomenattach
providing
in theirmarriage
considerable
choicesto thekindofhousetheirfuweight
workit
theamountofdomestic
turehusbandwillprovide,
andin particular
ifthey
willrequire.7Fewpeoplechooseto livein an old house,especially
orbathkitchen
havetobearthebrunt
ofpedestrian
accessonly,no separate
topaymalelabor
room,andunhealthy
dampness.Andwhileitis acceptable
forsuchjobs as replacing
plasterand whitewashing,
paid femaledomestic
helpis unheardof in Hebron.The dailyroundof cookingand cleaning
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72
JOURNALOF PALESTINE STUDIES
therefore
fallsalmostexclusively
tothewomenofthehousehold.Moreover,
although
womenhavetheright
tosuccession
in Islamiclawandshareinheritancerights
withtheirbrothers,
in theold citytheyhavelittleaccessto the
decision-making
fora-e.g.thediwan(meeting
place)ofthehamula(clan)or
theawqafadministration-except
informally
through
theirmalerelatives.
As
longas theycannotbe instrumental
in changing
theirenvironment,
thewomenuse theleverage
theydo havetoleavetheslumenvironment
fornewer
quarters.
Whilethewaqfsystem-the
traditional
Islamicsystem
ofreligious
endowmentswherein
theincomeofan endowedproperty
is usedtosupport
designatedpublicworksor charities
such as mosques,publicfountains,
soup
kitchens,8
andso on-has thepotential
toserveas a revitalizing
force,
certain
ofitsaspectsalso contribute
to theold city'svulnerability
to out-migration
andphysical
deterioration.
Thewaqfsystem
in Hebron,reputedly
oneofthe
oldestin theIslamicworld,datesbacktotheseventh
century
when,accordingtotradition,
theProphet
Muhammad
himself
conferred
thelandonwhich
Hebronwas builtto one ofhis companions,
Tamimal-Dari.9Members
of
theTamimifamily
stillrecitethestory
oftheoriginoftheirland,'0 andthe
namesof thetenfamilies
invested
withservicein theHaramal-Ibrahimi
resonate
notonlywithinthetown,butalso amongthePalestinian
diaspora.
Thewaqfiya(waqfdocument)
forall thelandofthetwovillagesofDuraand
KufrBirik(Bani Na'im)was engraved
in 1215 in stonein theHaramalIbrahimi."1
Muslimsin Hebronhavecontinued
tosetasidelandorproperty
as wacf,and indeedvirtually
theentireold cityconsistsofwaqfproperty,
a
ofwhichis thatit cannotbe sold,mortgaged,
majorfeature
or
bequeathed,
12
altered.
Manyoftheproperties
in theoldcityarewaqfdhurri,
a typeofwaqfcollectively
ownedbya particular
orclananddedicated
family
tothatfamily's
use
in perpetuity:
entitlement
to revenueis sharedamongtheeligiblebeneficiaries.Butthemembers
ofthehamulawithwealthhavetendedoverthe
yearsto moveoutoftheold city,waivingtheirclaimsto sharedresidential
use of thewaqfproperty
in favorof theirpoorerrelatives;
as a result,the
wealthier
family
members
frequently
liketo thinkofthemselves
as having
"subsidized"
thepoorermembers,
whoin turnhavea strong
senseoftheir
ownrights
as family
to theuse oftheproperty.
Thisarrangement
members
seemssustainable
remains
undesirable
andthereis a low
onlyiftheproperty
are usuallyleasedunderarlevelofupkeep.Othertypesofwaqfproperty
rangements
goingbackmanydecades,so therentshavebecomesymbolic.
ora voluntary
decisionbythe
as theresultofa legalanomaly
Thus,whether
no
holdersoffamily
waqf,muchoftheold city'shousingbringsin virtually
revenue. The effectis a general reluctanceto investin property
improvements.
as contributing
to the
factor
thatshouldbe mentioned
Another
internal
ofmigration.
is Hebron'sdistinctive
tradition
city'sdepopulation
Migration
buta badgeofidentity
forthepeopleofHebronis notmerely
a recourse
that
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OLD CITY OF HEBRON: REPORT
73
is highly
valued.By 1912 all thecommerce
in thetownofKarak,nowin
Jordan,
wasin thehandsofHebronites.
ThetownofBeersheba
in southern
Palestine
was first
populated
bytraders
fromHebron,and largenumbers
of
peoplemovedfrom
HebrontoJerusalem
andBethlehem
during
theMandate
period.
In the1950seconomic
opportunities
in theGulfopenedup. Migration
to
theGulf,temporarily
haltedin themid-1950s,
resumedafter1967 before
beingdramatically
reversed
following
the 1991 Gulfwar. Therehas also
beena longstanding
flowofpeoplefromHebrontoJordan,
whichincreased
in theearlyandmid-1960s
wheneconomic
incentives
favored
theEastBank
overtheWestBank. A widerdiasporacan linkPalestinian
retailoutlets
outlikebeadsfromthevillageofBaniNa'imtoHebrontoJerusalem
strung
to Ammanto Manaus,in AmazonasState,Brazil.
IsraeliPoliciesandSettler
Activities
Without
question,
thedefining
eventin themodern
history
ofHebronwas
the nakba(catastrophe)of 1948, which de-
privedHebronofsomesixteenvillagesofits
hinterland
even as it brought
some 70,000 The populationof the old city
intothecity.Butitwasnotuntilthe declined80 percentbetween
refugees
1967warandsubsequent
occupation
thatthe 1967 and 1990.
oldcitybecamean arenaofdirect
conflict
betweenPalestinian
of
and Israeliinterests.
As notedearlier,
thepopulation
theoldcityofHebrondeclinedbysome80 percent
between1967and 1990.
Needlessto say,thesharppopulation
dropfortheold cityhas entaileda
redistribution
ofthecitypopulation
ofHeoverall.In 1967aboutone-fifth
bron'spopulation
withinthe
livedwithintheold city,and another
one-fifth
adjacent
quarters;
81.8 percent
ofthepopulation
livedwithinthemunicipal
boundaries.'3
Today,themajority
ofthepopulation
of87,000livesoutside
thecitylimitsin suburbsbuilton agricultural
of these
land. The.growth
suburbsis partof a Palestinian
nationalist
endeavorto protect
Palestinian
landthreatened
withIsraeliconfiscation
bybuilding
on it.'4
In assessing
thefactors
contributing
to thedeclineoftheold cityofHebron,it is difficult
to separatetheimpactofdirectIsraelistatepoliciesfrom
settler
activities.
On 10 May1968,lessthana yearafter
the1967war,seventy-three
Jewsled byRabbiMosheLevinger
occupiedtheNahiral-Khalid
Hotelinthecenter
oftown.Theywerepersuaded
toleaveonlyafter
reaching
an agreement
withtheauthorities
allowingthemto campwithinthecomthegovpoundofthemilitary
government.
Severalmonths
later,in October,
ernment
oftowntheresidential
settlement
on theoutskirts
of
beganbuilding
Qiryat
Arba,whosepopulation
has grownto over5,000today.
whohavefoThereis generalagreement
amongthevariousresearchers
cusedon thisissue'5thatthedevelopment
of theHebronsettlements
deof powers fromthe Palestinian-controlled
pended upon the transfer
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74
JOURNALOF PALESTINE STUDIES
to theIsraeliauthorities.
In May1980,twomonthsafterthe
municipality
govemment
officially
decidedto authorize
Jewishresidential
settlement
in
theheartofthecity,thepopularly-elected
mayor,
FahdQawasima,was deported.His deputy,
Mustafa
'Abdal-Nabial-Natsha,
assumedQawasima's
functions
as mayor,
onlytobe dismissed
bytheoccupation
authorities
inJuly
1983.* Theappointment
ofa Jewish
mayor-Zamir
Shemesh-for
a wholly
Arabtownwassignificant.
Moresignificant
is thefactthatShemesh
wasalso
CustodianofAbsenteeProperty,
whichensuredthattheIsraeliauthorities
had control
overbothabsentee
property
andtheproperty
ofthosepresent
in
thetown.The Israeligovernment
also appointedall fourmembers
ofthe
HebronMunicipalCouncil,threeofwhomservedon thevitally
important
Planning
Committee.
Whilethesettlers
cannotoperatewithout
theat leasttacitcooperation
of
thegovernment,
theydo havetheirownagendaand priorities.
RabbiLevinger,
themostactiveproponent
ofthesettlement
movement
in Hebron,expressedthefollowing
visionforHebron:
ofJews
Thistownwillbecomeyetagaina Jewish
city.Tensofthousands
willbe livingherewithinthenext10-20years.16
Thedisjuncture
between
myth
andhistorical
recordis accommodated
bythe
settlers'
two-track
ideology
and strategic
pragmatism.
On theone hand,the
havecreatedand cultivated
settlers
ofa mythic
a collective
memory
Jewish
claimstospecific
pastforHebron.On theotherhand,theyhaveresuscitated
in theold city,andin particular
properties
property
abandonedbytheJews
between1929 and 1936.
In fact,
in Hebronduring
hasnot
theJewish
presence
thepastmillennium
been extensive.Of thefourtownsof significance
to Judaism-Jerusalem,
Safed,Tiberias,and Hebron-theJewishpopulationin Hebronwas the
in 1884-85
smallestand poorest.Ottoman
fortheHebrondistrict
statistics
whichin 1911showed436Jewsoutofa totalpopulation
of41,155,a figure
Land
12 hadrisento721outof56,444.17 Arthur
Ruppin,
headoftheJewish
inPalestine
Office
as of1908whocompiled
(somewhat
exaggerated)
populaofthe
tionstatistics
fortheZionistOrganization,
puttheJewishpopulation
census
Hebrondistrict
at 1,000in 191518; theBritish
Mandategovemment's
at
of 1922counted430 Jewsin thecityofHebron,whosetotalpopulation
thetimewas 16,577.19On theeve ofthe1929 Arabriotsin Hebronthat
had reached
theWailingWall disturbances,
theJewish
followed
population
to theEncyclopaedia
of 18,000,according
700 outofa totalcitypopulation
in
Judaica.Mostleftafterthetroubles,
retumed
buta numberof families
thebeginning
of
in April1936after
1931;all wereevacuated
bytheBritish
theArabRebellion
of 1936-39.20
* FollowingtheFebruary
as mayor,
Mustafaal-Natshawas allowedtoresumehisfunctions
1994Hebronmassacre,
albeitwithconsiderably
reducedpowers.-Ed.
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OLD CITY OF HEBRON: REPORT
75
abandonedbyJewsin
ownership,
titlesofproperty
In termsofproperty
government's
registered
underthenameoftheJordanian
1936wereofficially
was transin 1950.After1967 thisfunction
CustodianofEnemyProperty
Property;
at stakewereforty-four
ofAbsentee
ferred
totheIsraeliCustodian
Thereis,
Arabtenants.21
leasedtothirty-two
titleswhichhadbeenofficially
owned.
wereall actually
as towhether
theproperties
however,
somequestion
oftheTamimiwaqfin Hebron,AnwarKhatib,
forThemutawalli
(manager)
claimedthatmuchofthe
oftheDistrict
ofJerusalem,
merJordanian
governor
is Tamimihikr(waqf
settlers
in Hebronitself
occupiedbytheJewish
property
of
evidence
in theform
ofreceipts
underlongleases)andproduced
property
left.The Objecannualpayments
up to 1936,whentheJewishoccupants
to
government
by theIsraelimilitary
tionsCommittee,
thebodyappointed
as
refused
toacceptsuchreceipts
lookintodisputed
casesoflandacquisition,
sufficient
proof.22
properties
wereownedorleased,theywerethefocus
Whether
theJewish
began on the
of settlermovesinto the old city. In 1974, renovations
also knownas HarthalAvinusynagogue
oftheKnisetIbrahim,
Avraham
ofDabuya(called
in May1979bytheoccupation
Yahud.Thiswasfollowed
outsidetheold citybya groupofQiryatArba
BeitHadassahbyJews)right
tookpossesLevinger.
Next,inJuly1983,thesettlers
womenledbyMiriam
with
sionoftheUsamaibn al-Munqidh
Schooladjacentto thebus station,
thelatterbuildingat aboutthe
theIsraelDefenseForces(IDF) occupying
notfar
sametime.The following
year,in August1984,Tall al-Rumaytha,
was occupied.
outsidetheold cityperimeter,
fromDabuyain an old quarter
on thesketch
mapshowing
whichemerges
clearly
Thesettlement
pattern,
was spelledoutin a masterplan
thisreport,
locational
sitesaccompanying
forHebronpublished
fortheRenewalofJewish
in 1984bytheCommittee
in theCityofthePatriarchs.23
posSettlement
The plancallsforregaining
theold
in 1929-36andthenJudaizing
abandoned
sessionofJewish
property
the
As canbe seenfrom
oftheinhabitants.
citybythegradualdisplacement
sketchmap,thesettlement
sitesareislandsthatcan be linkedup toforma
withthe
totheHaramal-Ibrahimi,
continuous
swathfromTallal-Rumaytha
buildingsoccupied on 28 May 1993 now to
be linkedtoQiryat
Arba.Fromthemap,one
interim
goal Fromthemap, one might
mightspeculatethata strategic
ofthemaster
making speculatethata strategic
planis tobisectthecity,
movement
moredifficult.interimgoal of themaster
bythePalestinians
Whatthemapdoesnotconveyis theactual plan is to bisectthe city.
whichare
buildings,
impactofthesettlement
in size and stylefromtheold citybuildingsthatsurround
quitedifferent
them.
A changein settler
The 1984plan focusedon former
Jewishproperty.
by IsraelRadioon 6 July
"policy"was signaledin a newsitemreported
homesin theold cityofHebronhadbeenbought(or rather,
1993: thirteen
theirleaseshad beenbought)through
Arabmiddlemen.The radioreport
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JOURNALOF PALESTINESTUDIES
76
*
old cityperimeter
'Kt
1
2
QiryatA.ba
Haramal-lbrahimi
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
vegetablemarket
Usamaibnal-Munqidh
Schoollbusstation
Dabuya(BeitHadassah)
Tall al-Rumaytha
Bab al-Zawiya
buildings
occupied28 May 1993
Sharihaal-Sakaniya
Salhabbuilding
3
/"
k
Jewish-occupied
buildings
Harth
al-Yahud
'-I/
to
Jerusalem
C ^1
NORTH
area iHern
Buit-u
'
@~~~99
ND: This sketchmap shows onlylocations
identifiedin the tev.
Built-upareas in Hebron,
mostofthearea covered,
whichconstitute
are omitted
forclarity.
1
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OLD CITY OF HEBRON: REPORT
77
dinnersin
notedthatthemoneyhad been raisedat annualfund-raising
the
it is worthmentioning
Franceand theUnitedStates.24In thisregard,
in NewYork
incorporated
foundation
tax-exempt
HebronFund,a charitable
realestatein theoccupiedterritories,
in 1982withthepurposeofacquiring
arenotpubthefund'soperations
concerning
Hebron.Specifics
particularly
itsgoals. On 20 May1990,speakconcerning
lic,butthereis littlemystery
dinnerat the Sheraton
ing at the fund'sthirdannual fund-raising
the Scranton-born
New Jersey,
MeadowlandsHotel in East Rutherford,
mayoroftheJewishenclavein Hebron,RabbiYechielLeiter,said (in the
secreU.S. assistant
Perle,former
presenceofspecialguestspeakerRichard
andguestofhonorMiriamLevinger):
taryofdefense,
todaydreamsbecomereality....
UntilnowI cametoyouas a dreamer,
areso historic.The
areso momentous,
areself-evident,
Theramifications
cityin Judeaand Samariacan be Jewish.25
secondlargest
planforHebron,theoccupation
ofthe1984master
Truetotheintentions
neighoftheimmediate
emptying
bya virtual
ofeachsitehasbeenfollowed
andcomresidential
Palestinian
populated
densely
borhood.In theformerly
mercialarea aroundtheDabuya(BeitHadassah),onlyone house-the alis
behindDabuya-is stillinhabited.Itscourtyard
Attalhouseimmediately
above;plastic
livinglessthanthreemeters
overlooked
bythesettlers
directly
down,
againsttherubbishthrown
as protection
had to be installed
roofing
ofthe
on
one
side
The
windows
no longerusesthecourtyard.
andthefamily
abuse.
verbal
and
stones
against
shuttered
househave been permanently
aroundtheHarthal-Yahudhas seenthePalestheneighborhood
Similarly,
in 1967to onlythree(infamilies
dropfromtwenty-five
tinianpopulation
cludingone tenantfamily)in 1993. The YusufSharabatihouse,which
adjoinsthesite,has been bulldozedfromthreesidesin 1982, 1987,and
1990.
involved
initially
ofthesynagogue
It shouldbe notedthattherestoration
Jewish
who hopedit woulddeflect
fromthePalestinians,
littleopposition
tomb.Butreligion
Abraham's
housing
from
attention
theHaramal-Ibrahimi
ofthe
Committee
onlya pretext:in 1986 theInternational
was apparently
and construction
excavation
majorunderground
RedCross(ICRC) reported
theintifada
at a slowerpaceduring
attheHarthal-Yahud.Workcontinued
theGulfwar. The
after
(muchofitwithPalestinian
labor),butaccelerated
havebeensealedbythe
ontotheconstruction
ofthehouseslooking
windows
meters
atleastfifty
a crater
therooftops
IDF,whichguardsthesite,butfrom
Palestinians
living
acrossand tenmeters
deepcouldbe seen:theremaining
intheir
walls,and
cracking
ofworsening
inthesurrounding
housescomplain
below
extendsdirectly
excavation
observation
showedthattheunderground
housingcomplexinnewfour-story
theirhouses.ByJuly1993,thesettlers'
visiblefromtheSharabati
at least200 unitshad been completed,
volving
house.
foritspart,hascontribandcontrolled
TheIsraeli-appointed
municipality,
of
(andhencesocialandeconomic)fabric
utedtotheerosionofthephysical
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78
JOURNALOF PALESTINE STUDIES
theold citythrough
a judiciousmixture
ofneglect
andaction.Thepowerto
withhold
permits
forrestoration
workis extensively
used. Themunicipality
also issuesdemolition
ordersforbuildingsit deemsunsafe.Followinga
heavysnowfall
inwinter1991,forexample,
themunicipality
serveddemolitionorderson a number
ofbuildings
in theold city.The orderswerecontestedby the HebronUniversity
GraduatesUnion (UGU), but in the
meantime
theproperties
standvacantand theircondition
is worsening.
As a resultofsettler
activities
and advancingdecay,theold cityhas becomethemost
tothehazard
As a resultof settleractivities fearful
partoftown:in addition
ofunsafebuildings,
thereis thefearofbeing
and advancingdecay,theold
insidetheold citywhentheauthoricityhas becomethemost
trapped
tieswithout
seal someor all of the
fearfulpartof town.
warning
fivegatedentrances,
leavingvisitorsat the
mercy
ofIDF or settler
violenceor thesmallbutgrowing
numbers
ofPalestiniancollaborators,
drugdealers,and burglars
whofindshelter
there.The
permanent
sealingofcertain
entrances
andmanyofthesmallpassageslinkingmainstreets
to facilitate
control
has casta pall on thearea.
Commercial
Decline
Thesedevelopments
have,quiteobviously,
affected
notmerely
theresidentialbutalso thecommercial
and administrative
roleof thecity.Up until
1948,Hebronwas thecapitalofthedistrict
withthelargest
numberofvillagesofanydistrict
in Palestine,
andas suchwas an important
market
town.
Thebuilding
ofJewish
settlements
in thedistrict
since1967hasmadeaccess
toHebrondifficult,
severing
theweboftiesbinding
villageandtown.Meanwhile,thetraffic
ofgoodsandlaborwasincreasingly
beingdiverted
toIsrael,
wheregrowing
numbers
ofPalestinians
from
Hebron'shinterland
cametobe
itsroleof
employed
as daylaborers.Still,Hebronlongmanagedtomaintain
district
whenthosewhoworkedin Israelhad their
magnet.Every
Saturday,
day off,theold cityof Hebronwouldfillup. Whentheycameintothe
market,
themoredevoutmenfromthevillageswouldprayin one oftheold
citymosques.
to
The occupation
ofthebus stationbytheIDF in 1983 forced
villagers
withtheold cityaccessible
disembark
further
fromtheold city.Thereafter,
thecommercial
center
onlytopedestrians,
beganshifting
up Shari'aShallala
andtantoBabal-Zawiya.Nonetheless,
theanimalmarket,
slaughterhouses,
market
still
neriesin theold citycontinued
to be activeand thevegetable
dismarket
wasseverely
muchlocalproduce,
thevegetable
contained
though
in theHarthal-Yahudin the
ruptedbytheconstruction
worksundertaken
area
settlement
withthe"thickening"
oftheJewish
mid-1980s.Meanwhile,
betweenDabuya,theUsamaibn al-Munqidh
School,and thebus station,
festisettler
fornoisycelebrations
oftheJewish
confidence
becamesufficient
to Bab alval ofPurimat Bab al-Zawiya,
to return
and forRabbiLevinger
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OLD CITY OF HEBRON: REPORT
79
ZawiyatoharassPalestinians
within
hoursofhis30 September
1988shootingtodeathofKayidSalah,a shoe-shop
owner,in front
ofIDF witnesses.26
Increasingly,
then,Shari'aShallalatoobecamea no-goarea.
Theintifada
dealta further
blowtothecommercial
center
ofHebron.The
shopkeepers
suffered
from
curfews
as wellas from
generalorhalf-day
strikes
and daysofmourning.
Villagers
begansetting
up andmakingdo withtheir
ownshopsand services,
avoiding
journeys
to town.The prolonged
closure
to
byIsraeliorderofall Palestinian
educational
institutions
also contributed
thesuspension
oftraffic
betweenHebronand thevillages.Israelipunitive
and security
measuresduringtheintifada
involvedamongotherthingsthe
sealingoffofyetmorestreets
in theold city,leavingdoctors'and dentists'
clinicscutofffromtheirpatients,
shopscutofffromtheircustomers,
and
workshops
withno accessfordelivery.
Attheendof 1990theICRC reported
thattheclosurebytheIsraeliauthorities
oftheroadbetweentheHarthal-Yahudand Dabuyato Palestinian
traffic
threatened
theeconomicbase of theshopkeepers
and deprived
the
peopleof Hebronof thepossibility
of livingin theold city.The Hebron
ofCommerce
Chamber
regularly
submits
petitions
to themilitary
governor,
in thetownas a resultof
pointing
outthedeclinein economicconditions
IDF andsettler
activities.
Individuals
andgroupsalso appealtothemilitary
a
governor
through
theChamberofCommerce.Noneofthesehas received
writtenresponse,althoughthe ICRC and the Chamberof Commerce
imsometimes
whichmaybe followed
getoralreassurances
bya temporary
in conditions.27
provement
ThosePalestinians
whowanttoinvest
locallyaredoingso in thecomparameet
tivesafety
of'AinSaraon themainroadtoJerusalem.
Entrepreneurs
withno deterrent
from
themunicipal
authorities
whentheydestroy
old resiin Harthal-Shaykh,
dentialquarters
a neighborhood
outsidetheold citythat
grewup aroundthethirteenth-century
mosqueof 'Ali Baka nearBab alin thisarea
Zawiya,to putup concrete-faced
supermarkets.
Development
hasbeenespecially
rapidin thelastfiveyearsbecauseofitsprimelocation
on theJerusalem
roadnearthepedestrian
market
areaand awayfromthe
ofbuildsettler
zone. Suchdevelopment
thewantondestruction
hasentailed
tomakesure
ingsthatdeserve
tobe preserved.
Norarethereanyincentives
investment
is going
thattheold citybenefits
fromwhatlimitedPalestinian
of
on theperimeter
intonewhousingstock,health,
andeducational
facilities
thetown.
Palestinian
Plansfor theFuture
itwas an enthebackground
Against
ofthedesolatepicture
justpainted,
the
from
andunusualsightwhen,in 1988,Palestinian
researchers
couraging
in
HebronUniversity
households
Union(UGU) first
Graduates
approached
theoldcitywithclipboards
in hand. Motivated
andsurveying
equipment
by
an acuteawareness
oftheimportance
ofthefabric
oftheold citytoPalestin-
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80
JOURNALOF PALESTINE STUDIES
wouldbe a loss
deterioration
andthatitsfurther
ianArabandIslamicturath,
upona projectaimedat reversing
theUGU embarked
tofuture
generations,
oftheold cityweredrawnup
thecity'sdecline.Plansfortherehabilitation
underthedirection
working
andengineers
historians,
bya teamofarchitects,
GhassanDweik. The firstphase of theprojectwas twoof thearchitect
ofthesocialand economicstatusoftherepronged:to drawup a profile
architecoutcomprehensive
oftheold city,andtocarry
maining
population
have
oftheold city'sbuildings.Someof theteam'sfindings
turalsurveys
beenreported
above.
MuchoftheUGU team'saccessto theold city'shousesand thecooperarespectfor
was basedon theresearchers'
tiontheyobtainedfromresidents
and on
and allegiance,
linesofcommunication
forms,
including
traditional
was also
ofthelocalresidents
theirpersonalconductand tact.Cooperation
serviceswouldbe forthcoming,
thatimproved
based on theirassumption
resources.ButtheGulfwar
whichin turndependedon accessto financial
cutofffromfunds,and by
institutions,
lefttheUGU,likeotherPalestinian
were
salaries,
without
working
themselves
andengineers,
1993thearchitects
thattheywerebeingturnedawayfromsomehomesin theold city
finding
to havefailedto deliveron theirpromises.
becausetheywereperceived
oftheold
inhabitants
todemonstrate
totheremaining
As partofitseffort
theUGUteamhas
canbe madetotheirenvironment,
citythatimprovements
detailedtwopilotprojects.
a residential
al-Sakaniya,
ofal-Shariha
renovation
is an ambitious
Thefirst
blockin al-'Aqabaquarter
onlya fewmetersfromtheHaramal-Ibrahimi.
ofseveral
consisting
property
a 1,000-square-meter
Thecomplex,
waqfdhurri
as well
hamula,
a
different
each
for
main
entrances,
five
by
levels,is reached
workshops.Builtarounda
as private
to thetradeand industrial
entrances
in sucha way
opentothesky,itis designed
seriesoflovelysmallcourtyards
thenoiseand
andseclusionfrom
senseofprivacy
as toassurean immediate
to thespecificuse of altumult
ofthestreet.The proposedmodifications
apartments.
ofthirteen
Sharihaal-Sakaniya
involvethecreation
of
oftheSalhabcomplex,a cluster
The secondprojectis therenovation
buildingson three
and overlapwithneighboring
buildingsthatinterlock
atthemainentrance
becauseitis situated
important
levels.Itis particularly
ofthearcadesoftheold city.
wouldprovidenotonlyimmediate
oftheseprojects
The implementation
dethecontinuing
whohavewitnessed
to thelocalinhabitants
reassurance
in theskills
forPalestinians
ground
clineoftheirenvironment,
buta training
wouldalso
buildings.Suchprojects
oftraditional
fortherenovation
required
betweentheUGU,thewaqfadministraserveas a testcase forcooperation
to control
whocontinue
authorities
and themunicipal
tion,theinhabitants,
and future
plans
supplies.Buttheseprojects,
sewage,water,and electricity
havebeenputon holdforwantoffunds.
fortherehabilitation
effort,
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OLD CITY OF HEBRON: REPORT
opIn thelongerterm,mobilizingeffective
81
thathaveconforces
tothemultiple
position
resistance
of theold city Mobilizingeffective
to thedeterioration
tributed
aimed to thecity'scontinuingdecay
educativeefforts
requireswidespread
a consciousawarenessof the requiresintensiveeducative
at promoting
forma- efforts.
in identity
roleofone'ssurroundings
thatthe
tion. It is withinthisframework
edu(RIWAQ)is developing
Architecture
Vernacular
CenterforPalestinian
and
environments
oftraditional
appreciation
toencourage
cationalmaterials
and engineers.
architects
skillsamongPalestinian
oftraditional
knowledge
and
discussion
promoting
groups,
RIWAQis alsoactivein schoolsandyouth
homethey
amongyoungpeopleaboutwhatkindoffuture
experimentation
wantto livein.
theoldcity'sdecline:thelocal
in reversing
canbe mobilized
forces
Certain
therelademonstrating
through
developednationalism,
highly
population's
sentiment,
and theirreligious
and identity;
ofbuiltformto history
tionship
ofthecity.Indeed,Hebronis
appealingto theIslamicsignificance
through
traas havinga different
Muslim,
andthetownis recognized
almostentirely
WestBank.
ditionfrom
themixedChristian
andMuslimtownsin thecentral
to
deported
ofthe415 Hamasand IslamicJihadmembers
Abouta quarter
Lebanonin December1992 werefromHebron,manyof themrespected
instituhealth,
andothercharitable
in localeducational,
holdersofpositions
aremanifold,
arisingfromHebron'sMuslimidentity
tions.The obligations
Islamic
in theArabiclanguage(notedin Hebronforitsfrequent
embedded
Theyare
and hospitality.
references)
and in thesocialvaluesofgenerosity
ofthewaqfsystem.
also embodiedin zakat(almstax) and theinstitutions
Indeed,evenforthemostsecularof individuals,
(zawzyas,
waqfproperties
for
fountains,
clinics,publicbaths,and schools)providea sacredgeography
alsohasin
points.Preservation
andorientation
as markers
thetown,serving
includindividuals,
ofconcerned
and determination
itsfavorthededication
ofsomeoftheold
withtheUGU,as wellas thetenacity
ingthoseassociated
forexample,who has refortheson of YusufSharabati,
city'sresidents:
and the
bulldozings
mainedin his houseformorethana decadethrough
than
ofarmedsettlers
nextdoor,"Theold cityis morebeautiful
depredations
whohaveleft,buttheyalways
fromtheneighborhood
Paris.I havefriends
comeback."28
theapproximassacresurrounding
DespitethedebatesincetheFebruary
that
to
in
there
is
nothing suggest theywill
400 settlers theold city,
mately
fortheforeseeable
protection
Israeligovernment
notcontinue
tobenefit
from
future
andbeyond.Noris thereanyreasontobelievethattheirdeterminawillweaken:throughout
groupsin conhistory,
tiontoextend
theirpresence
thesevery
material
culture,
orannihilate
flict
havealwaystriedtoappropriate
memory
thepowerofbuiltformto embodycollective
efforts
demonstrating
on thePalestinian
side,
Similarly,
thatmemory
intothefuture.
andtoproject
its
turath
through
and promote
whentheUGU set out to define,protect,
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82
JOURNALOF PALESTINE STUDIES
project
torehabilitate
theold city,it setouttoplanthefuture.
Thematerial
culture
ofHebron'sold cityis a powerful
symbol
forthecollective
and subjectiveestablishment
oftheidentity
ofthemodemPalestinians.
NOTES
Religious
1. Nathmial-Ju'beh,
head of the archaeology
depart- 12. MichaelDumper,IslamandIsrael.Muslim
D.C.: InState(Washington,
mentof BirzeitUniversity,
interview
withthe author, Endowments
and theJewish
July1993.
forPalestineStudies,1994), p. 8.
stitute
to HeIntroduction
2. Yunis Sa'id al-Natshaand 'Isa Mahmud Bidun, 13. GhaziFalah,"A Geographical
op. cit.,p. 35 (in
"The MuslimCity,"in MadinaKhalilal-Rahman(Hebron,"in MadinaKhalilal-Rahman,
bron:University
Graduates
Union,1987),pp. 72-73(in
Arabic).
Arabic). Mujiral-Din's chronicle,
History
ofJerusalem 14. Ibid.,p. 35. For populationof Hebron,see Ziad
and Hebron,was translated
fromthe Arabicby Henri Abdeen and Hasan Abu-Libdeh,PalestinePopulation
Sauvaire,and publishedby ErnestLarouxin Parisin Handbook(Jerusalem:PRC Publications,1993), pp.
1876.
89-90.
15. The mostdetailedaccountis GhaziFalah,"Settle3. Ghassan Dweik, Al-Taqnrli-Mashru'Tarmimalin Hebron,"in MadinaKhalilalBalad al-Qadimafi al-Khalil, report presentedto mentand Judaization
AMIDEAST,Jerusalem
1992.Further
unpublished
doc- Rahman,op. cit.,pp. 207-32. See also Romann,Jewish
WestBank
ArabHebron(Jerusalem:
Arbaversus
of Kiryat
umentation
on theUGU projectfortherehabilitation
theold cityof Hebronis in theauthor'spossession.
Data Base Project,1985).
4. Ibid. The UGU researchers
couldgain access only 16. YehudaLitani,"Hebronand itslegacyofhate,"Jeweekending13 June
Edition,
PostInternational
rusalem
to theinhabited
buildings.
1987,p. 11.
5. Author'sinterview.
ThePopulation
ofPalestine(New
6. Surveyconductedby UGU. See Dweik,op. cit.
17. JustinMcCarthy,
Press,1990), pp. 50, 53.
withwomenin Hebron,1987- York:ColumbiaUniversity
7. Author'sinterviews
93. Amongotherreasonsforrefusing
possiblehus- 18. Ibid,p. 62.
bands,womenaged 15-25 said thattheywould not 19. Ibid,p. 156.
Judaica
want to live in an old house without modern 20. Moshe Shapira,"Hebron,"Encyclopaedia
conveniences.
(Jerusalem:Keter,n.d.),Volume8, p. 235.
8. Whilesoupsupported
bya waqfis no longerdistrib- 21. Dumper,op. cit.,p. 90.
utedon thescaleitoncewas,thereis tothisdaya daily 22. Ibid.,p. 90.
fortheRenewalofJewishSettlequeueofchildren
withplasticpailsat thesoup kitchen. 23. The Committee
masterplan 1984,18
9. F.E. Peters,
Jerusalem:
TheHolyCityin theEyesof mentin theCityofthePatriarchs,
and Prophets
Chroniclers,
Visitors,
Pilgrims,
fromtheDays PP.
ofAbraham
totheBeginning
ofModernTimes(Princeton: 24. Al-Nahar,6 July 1993, 18 July 1993. Al-Fajr
Princeton
University
Press,1985), p. 385.
(Arabic),6 July1993.
25. Quotedin RobertI. Friedman,"MakingWay for
10. The fifteenth-century
chroniclerMujiral-Din, in
hisHistory
andHebron,
op. cit.,pp. 227-28, the Messiah,"New YorkReviewof Books,11 October
ofJerusalem
Zealots
1990,pp. 14-17. See also RobertI. Friedman,
saw
recountsthesamestory,
addingthathe personally
Movement
thepieceofleatherfromthesandaloftheCommander forZion: InsideIsrael'sWestBankSettlement
of the Faithful'Ali ibn Abi-Talib(caliph A.H. 35(New York: RandomHouse, 1992), pp. 34-42.
26. Author'sobservation.
40/A.D. 656-61) on whichthe deed of donationwas
withHashiniSadiq 'Abd al-Nabial-Natwritten.Citedin Peters,op. cit.
27. Interview
of theChamberof Commerce,Hebron,
11. Najah Abu-Saraand Yunis Amr,Fi Khalil alsha, president
Rahman(Hebron:HebronUniversity,
1989),p. 391 (in July1993.
28. Author'sinterview.
Arabic).
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