http://www.middleeast.org/10-01-97.htm

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MER FLASHBACK: HEBRON - THE OCCUPATION CONTINUES SETTLEMENTS CONTINUE TO EXPAND AND THE ISRAELI ARMY CONTINUES TO CONTROL MER - Washington - 12/14/97:
    Hebron - now a city "legally" divided. It was only about a year ago that the Americans and the Israelis cornered Yasser Arafat once again and through a combination of threats and bribes got him to agree to the division of Hebron. Now, about a year later, the situation in Hebron remains extremely tense, the Israeli settlements continue to expand, and the Israeli Army continues to occupy.
    This MER Flashback is from December of last year. First the MER LIE of the Week about Hebron. Then an Open Letter from the descendants of Jewish families who had formerly lived in Hebron not only opposing the new Jewish settlers but opposing the new "deal" as well.
**************************************************************** M I D - E A S T   R E A L I T I E S   -   LIE of the Week

[With the new year, get involved with the new Committee On The Middle East (COME) - Details at Http://www.MiddleEast.Org or email to InfoCOME@MiddleEast.Org for immediate information.]

"ANYONE WHO TELLS YOU WE ARE LEAVING HEBRON

IS TELLING YOU A LIE. WE ARE THERE AND WE

WILL BE THERE FOREVER".

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu
12/29/96

                "ARAFAT WAS SCREAMING. IF YOU WANT TO
                CONTROL AL-IBRAHIMI MOSQUE, TAKE THE
                MOSQUE, TAKE EVERYTHING! TAKE HEBRON!
                I DON'T WANT IT! YOU DON'T WANT AN
                AGREEMENT ON HEBRON! YOU DON'T WANT
                TO AGREE ON ANYTHING!"

Yasser Arafat to Netanyahu
12/24/96

The public negotiations belie the realities. Of the very meeting where Arafat screamed at Netanyahu a few days ago (and twice got up to run away), American negotiator Dennis Ross said, "It was a very positive meeting," and Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said, "The atmosphere was very productive"!

The Americans have insisted that some kind of an agreement, any agreement be made. Keeping the imagery of working diligently for "peace" alive -- however fragile, however distorted, however unjust --
is paramount for Washington in its role as regional strongman protecting its vital interests in cheap oil and obedient client-regimes. What is now happening in Hebron will serve as a temporary band-aid for the badly hemoraging "peace process"; but major surgery is needed and that's not in the cards for the new year.

The reality is that Hebron is but one more in the series of disguised Palestinian surrenders that now so divide Palestinian territories from each other that Palestinians are much more disenfranchised now (from all but the small central areas of about a dozen cities) then they were before the "peace process" began. The Israelis will "redeploy", not withdraw. The Palestinian "police" will patrol Palestinian areas with
Israeli supplied and registered guns and identity papers. But all around Hebron the Israeli check-points and tanks will control all comings and goings. In a very real tragic sense, Hebron prison is now being legitimized and the great majority of Hebronites will be confined inside it.

Arafat will of course declare victory and chant his simplistic slogans. On Christmas eve there he was at the birthplace of Jesus crying out "Help Us, Help Us, Help Us"! But having agreed to Palestinian
reservations and an approaching pseudo-state led by pseudo-leaders with pseudo-authority, the die is cast for conflict long into the future in the new apartheid-style "peace".

Having build this pseudo and deceptive "peace", sadly, much violence and destruction probably lies ahead.

---------------------------- S E E K P E A C E O F H E B R O N

We, the descendents of the families of Hebron s ancient Jewish community, sons, grandsons and greatgrandsons of the Jews who lived in the city for hundreds of years - want peace.

PEACE FOR THE CITY, PEACE FOR ISRAEL Now, when the city of our fathers and forefathers is in the eye of a storm threatening to explode the political process and to destroy the prospects of peace, we feel an obligation to say what is in our hearts.

Settlers living in Hebron s heart do not have the right to speak in the name of the old Jewish community, and their pretensions to be following the path of our fathers is a deceit and deceiving. They are alien to the culture and way of life of the Hebron Jews, who in the course of generations created a heritage of peace between peoples and understanding between faiths.

The settlers who have taken possession of Jewish property in the heart of Hebron and made it theirs, have done thievish work. No one granted them the right that is not theirs, to be the heirs of our fathers, no matter if we speak of private property or community property. And they intend to add sins to their crimes and to possess other lands and structures.

HEBRON WILL DECIDE FOR GOOD OR EVIL

Therefore the government must evacuate the handful of settlers from the city at once, before they succeed in exploding the peace process and destroying the prospects of peace.

Amnon Bierman   Moshe Gelmor (Hassun family)
Rachel Grundland (Zarfati family)       Ahuva Donivsky (Zarfati family)
Ronen Doron ( Slonim family)    Yael Doron (Slonim family)
Etty Horn (Franco family)       Chaim Hanegbi (Bajaio family)
Chaim Hazan (Avishar family)    Michal Hassun (Hassun family)
Ovadya Hassun (Hassun family)   Rami Hassun (Hassun family)
Tamar Hassun (Hassun family)    Orit Hassun-Walder (Hassun family)
Ofra yerushalmi-Seidof (Zarfati family) Yair Kidan (Schneirson family)
Dafne Mendelowitz (Zarfati family)      Asher Meshorer (Mani family)
Yaakov Meshorer (Mani family)   Orah Slonim (Slonim family)
Meir Slonim (Slonim family)     Batya Perla (Kleiers family)
Yonah Rochlin (Mani, Hassun)    Eliezer Shani (Slonim family)
Sima Schneider (Slonim family) Orit Hassun-Walder (Hassun family)
Ofra Yerushalmi-Seidof (Zarfati family) Yair Kidan (Schneirson family)
Dafne Mendelowitz (Zarfati family)      Asher Meshorer (Mani family)
Yaakov Meshorer (Mani family)   Ora Slonim (Slonim family)
Meir Slonim (Slonim family)     Batya Perla (Kliers family)

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