Hebron, also known as Al-Khalil in Arabic, is an ancient city of unsettling beauty located 20 miles south of Jerusalem in the West Bank. With a population of more than 200,000 Palestinians and around 1,000 Israeli settlers, Hebron is the largest city in the Palestinian territory. Its name in both Hebrew (Hevron) and Arabic (Al-Khalil) is translated as “friend”, a description of Patriarch Abraham. Hebron is one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in the world and has been an important focus of religious worship for more than two millennia. Hebron is built on several hills and wadis, most of which run from north to south.
It is home to some 215,000 Palestinians and its old town, with stone roofs, arches and endless alleys, is the perfect playground to enjoy the sensory delights of markets and bazaars. It is also a city in the process of modernization, home to the University of Hebron and the Polytechnic University of Palestine. Hebron is a shopping mall, mainly selling marble from nearby quarries. The area is also famous for its grape, fig, limestone, pottery and blown glass factories, as well as for the major dairy manufacturer, al-Junaidi. In July 1855, Kamil and his army marched to Hebron, with representatives from the consulates of England, France and other Western countries as witnesses. In 1893, the Jewish community of Hebron built the building later known as Beit Hadassah as a clinic, and in 1909 a second floor was added.
Jews continued to live in Hebron after the conquest of the city by the Arabs (in 63), whose generally tolerant rule was well received, especially after the often harsh Byzantine rule. Both countries appointed military governors in the city, hoping to gain recognition from Hebron officials. Today, the area along the north-south axis to the east comprises the modern city of Hebron (also called Upper Hebron, Khalil Foq). Once David and his men overcame the pockets of opposition that remained among Saul's supporters, representatives of all the tribes duly gathered in Hebron to declare David king of all Israel. I have a Jewish friend whose family had lived in Hebron for centuries and was later forced to leave, so I think the reality is not as black and white as some on the Palestinian side might present. After an initial period of deliberation, Prime Minister Levi Eshkol's worker-led government decided to temporarily move the group to a nearby IDF compound, while building a new community called Kiryat Arba next to Hebron. After the creation of the State of Israel in 1948 and the invasion of Arab armies, Hebron was captured and occupied by the Jordanian Arab Legion. Despite its poverty, the community managed in 1807 to buy a plot of land of 5 dunams in which today the city's wholesale market is located and after several years, the sale was recognized by the Waqf of Hebron. After overwhelming the entire opposition Kamil appointed Salama Amr brother and strong rival of Abd al Rachman as a Nazir of the Hebron region. The next archaeological period in Hebron, The Late Bronze Age (1550-1200 BC).
C.), is especially interesting because until recently it was thought that there was no evidence of occupation there from this period. The city's main commercial artery is located here along Jerusalem Highway and includes modern multi-storey shopping malls. Jewish settlers have their own municipal governing body called The Hebron Jewish Community Committee. The Ministry of Housing and Construction has created The “Association for The Renewal Of The Jewish Community Of Hebron” to carry out projects in this city. After a deadly terrorist attack on May 2nd 1980 in which six Jews returning from praying at The Tomb Of The Patriarchs were killed and 20 injured The mayors Of Hebron And Halhoul were deported to Lebanon for incitement.
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