Beit Ezra in Hebron
Following
the Six-Day War in 1967, past residents of the Old City in Jerusalem who had
been expelled during the War of Independence in 1948 asked for, and were granted a meeting with then
Defense Minister Moshe Dayan. They requested permission to return to their homes
and property in the Old City, confiscated and occupied by Jordan. Dayan
consented, and, as a result, Jerusalem’s Jewish Quarter today flourishes.
Simultaneously,
past Hebron inhabitants, who had been expelled in 1929, and again in 1936, requested a
similar meeting with Dayan, in order to return to their homes in the recently
liberated city of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs. Dayan refused to meet
them
.
The
story of Hebron’s Jewish property is a reason for heartache and chagrin. Hebron Jews lost most of their
assets following expulsion by the British following the 1929 riots. As
I was told by a survivor of those riots: “My father wrote to the British
High Commissioner and asked why the victims had been punished – why the Jews
were expelled after being slaughtered.
His answer: ‘I knew you couldn’t continue living together and being that there were more Arabs than Jews it was
easier to expel the Jews.’”
The
untainted authenticity of Jewish land ownership is Hebron is indisputable. The
“Jewish Quarter,” presently known as the Avraham Avinu neighborhood, was originally populated by
Karites some 1,000 years ago. This land was purchased from them by Rabbi Malchiel
Ashkenazi, himself exiled to Turkey from Spain in 1492. In 1540 he bought that
area from the Karites and moved, with a
small community, to Hebron. This neighborhood existed until the 1929 riots, massacre and exile.
Five dunam (5,000 sq. meters) of land adjacent to this place was purchased by Rabbi Chaim Bajaiyo for the
community in 1807 from the Kashkol family in Hebron. This too remained under Jewish
hands until 1929. In the early 1960s this property was taken over and occupied
by Hebron merchants, who built a retail and wholesale market at the
site.
Receipt for water paid by Yaakov Ezra
Yosef
Ezra is a ninth generation Hebronite. He and his father, Ya’akov Ezra, were the last Jews to leave Hebron, following the
Nov. 29, 1947 UN decision to partition Israel. His father, who worked closely
with Arabs, produced cheese and other milk products. He worked in Hebron during
the week and spent Shabbat with his family in
Jerusalem. Until November, 1947, when Hebron’s Arabs told him not to return to
this holy city.
The
Ezra property, within the boundaries of these two areas was stolen, according to Yossi Ezra by the Awawi
family, who had worked with his father. Then fifteen, Yosef Ezra still
remembers this family, who worked for his father, grazing sheep.
Yosef Ezra outside Beit Ezra
Presently,
there is no doubt whatsoever that this is Jewish land, and that there are no real,
justifiable, legal Arab claims to this property. However, the State Attorney
General’s office has decided that Arabs who lived on this land which they stolen from
Jews have ‘protected resident status’ and refuse to allow Hebron’s Jewish communityto utilize the
property. This, despite a ruling by an Israeli military judicial panel of three
judges which concluded that there is a firm legal basis to allow
the Hebron Jewish Community to utilize this land.
Military panel visiting in Hebron
Today
the State informed the Israeli Supreme Court of their decision to expel the two families living in Beit
Ezra. The expulsion is due to occur towards the end of April. That is, following
the elections. Bibi Netanyahu isn’t interested in photos and videos of Jews
expelled from their homes in Hebron before the elections. It wouldn’t
win him any mandates.
The
decision also expressed a possibility that the property will be made available to Hebron’s Jewish
community, after the families have been expelled.
Mitzpe Shalhevet - before and after
We’ve
been through this before. Back in Janurary, 2006 the Israeli government made a similar promise, whereby, following
voluntary exit of homes in “Mitzpe Shalhevet,” other families would be allowed back in,
with full permission and government permits. This offer was made with the
knowledge and consent of the defense and prime ministers. After all the families
moved out, then Attorney General Manny Mazuz nixed the deal. We were left with
nothing.
Shalhevet Pass HY"D
In
January, 1997, when the Hebron Accords, which split Hebron, leaving most of the
city in the hands of the Palestinian Authority, were signed and implemented by Bibi Netanyahu,
another government decision was passed, calling for, and promising, the continued growth
and wellbeing of Hebron’s Jewish community. It’s hard to
understand how a Prime Minister, whose actions brought upon this community two and a half years of
shooting attacks, murders, and other terror acts, who promised to ensure
the expansion of Hebron’s Jewish Community, can allow continued shrinkageof Hebron’s housing and
neighborhoods. Beit HaMachpela, Beit HaShalom, now Beit Ezra, not to
mention refusal of any permits to plan or build new homes, are not examples
of good will, growth, and well-being.
To the contrary, they seem to be examples of how to bring about the deletion of Hebron’s Jewish community from the
map.
So,
what is it with you, Bibi? Perhaps the time has arrived to come clean. Will the property really be
returned to us, or is this another political spin, designed to prevent more votes from
draining away from the Likud? Let the electorate know exactly where you stand
concerning Hebron, before January 22, 2013. For a start, give us back
Beit Ezra.
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