A trail of charcoal tire tracks are an unwelcome sight this morning in Hebron’s old city, tracing a grim path past shuttered shops and beneath wire netting that sags with the weight of rubbish, bottles, and stones thrown from above.
A tailor’s shop and car were firebombed last night by Israeli colonizers in the Old City of Al-Khalil (Hebron). The attackers struck before Fajr, the early morning prayer time, leaving the shopkeeper’s livelihood in disarray. Flames melted key electrical components both inside and outside the shop, with the stench of burnt plastic and textiles still lingering well into the afternoon as volunteers met with the shopkeeper. His name is Mashhour Sidqi Al-Tamimi and even in the aftermath of such destruction, he was more than willing to take us on a tour of the small shop, pointing out the places most damaged by the fire. When asked if the attack was by settlers or the army, all present simply shrugged and told us it makes no difference.
Both have the same goals.
In the Old City of Al-Khalil (Hebron), Palestinians live under military occupation and must remain constantly alert for settler incursions and attacks. These attacks are ideological in nature, stemming from the belief that the land on which these Palestinians have lived for generations is the rightful property of the Jewish people. It’s a belief that is palpable during the weekly (and since October 7, 2023, often more frequent) tours given to the illegal settlers and foreign Jews. These tours are deeply disruptive to both business and daily life in the old city, as heavily armed soldiers, some barely older than 18, forcibly clear the streets of any Palestinian presence, ostensibly for the security of the visiting settlers, as well as to reinforce the idea that Palestinians are dangerous and must be kept in check by their oppressors.
In reality, this is just one of the many ways that the occupying forces attempt to showcase their dominance over the Palestinian civilians who remain in the besieged area. Those who remain do so for a number of reasons, not least of which as an act of resistance to the ever-encroaching occupation that sees forcing Palestinians from their shops and homes as a form of “historic justice” for the colonial State of Israel.
This attack comes the same day that the US-based Hebron Fund announced they’re halfway to reaching their fundraising goal to further expand the illegal Israeli settlements in the area, bringing in more international settlers to claim Palestinians’ land and homes in the name of Judaism – while further endangering the lives and livelihoods of Palestinians who only want to live and work in peace in the land of their forefathers.
