Al Khalil is the largest city in the West Bank located about 19 miles (30 kilometers) south of Al-Quds (“Jerusalem”) and sits at 3,050 feet (930 meters) above sea level, nestled in Tilal Al Khalil mountain range.  Al Khalil is home to over 200,000 Palestinian inhabitants, with 700 settlers encroaching on the holy city. There is a wealth of religious and historic significance in Al Khalil, where the tomb of the Prophet Ibrahim is located in the Ibrahimi Mosque. Built sometime between 9BC and 1BC, it was constructed over the cave which contains the tombs of Ibrahim and his family. Beyond its religious significance, Al Khalil is a cultural pinnacle of Palestine historically and in the contemporary. The Hirbawi Factory, Palestine’s only remaining kuffiyeh factory, is located in Al-Khalil. Ceramics and glass production are also at the heart of Al-Khalil. Glass-making was introduced to the area around the time of the Roman Empire and remained a strong tradition in the city since. Today, the ceramics painted with traditional blue and white flowery patterns have become a recognizable symbol of Palestine throughout historic Palestine and beyond. Phoenician-style glass is still manufactured in Al Khalil and is recognizable its blue-green swirls shaped most often into cups, goblets, and pitchers. Despite the effects of the occupation and apartheid, Palestinian heritage persists in Al Khalil. 

Al Khalil is often referred to as a microcosm of the Palestinian struggle because of its unique embodiment of every facet of occupation, colonialism, and apartheid. It is the only city in historic Palestine that is under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority and, simultaneously, the occupying Israeli government. Most of the illegal settlers of the city live on the outskirts, however, there are an emboldened number of settlers within the city also, who are under the armed protection of the Israeli Occupation Forces. Al Khalil, referred to as “Hebron” following the occupation of Palestine, is divided into two areas: H1 and H2 (see map below). H1 is designated for Palestinian control, while H2 is off-limits to native Palestinian inhabitants, who risk death for so much as walking into an areas designated as H2, including the once-bustling Shuhada (Martyers’) Street. Shuhada Street was once home to a thriving market that was abruptly shut down and relocated a short distance away. More than the economic and cultural destruction of the city though, Occupation Forces place a brutally violent hold on Al-Khalil. Shuhada Street has been ethnically cleansed of its Palestinian inhabitants, who are subjected to being shot on-site with a no-questions-asked policy if they attempt to walk or cross the street. This is the life Palestinians in Al Khalil under occupation. 

For a deeper dive into Al Khalil residents’ daily hardships, join Eyewitness Palestine on Wednesday, April 24th at 12pm ET for our second Virtual Delegation: Live from Al Khalil. Check out the Upcoming Events section below for more information. 

Image courtesy of hebronapartheid.org

Eyewitness Palestine staff have just returned from an Emergency Medical Team Delegation from Gaza after spending two weeks in the midst of unrelenting bombings and witnessing the effects of the atrocities committed by Israeli Occupation Forces in Gaza. Our Executive Director, Nancy Mansour, and our Programs & Operations Coordinator, Moureen Kaki, will be on a live webinar to share their testimonies and experiences. As the genocide in Gaza rages on into month seven, it is more important than ever to continue talking about and uplifting Gaza. By sharing their experiences, you have the chance to hear first-hand accounts of what Palestinians have endured as the genocide continues. Join us live on Wednesday, April 17th at 12pm ET for the full report back session. Don’t mis this important webinar. Register now at the link below.

Join Eyewitness Palestine on Wednesday, April 24th at 12PM ET for our Live from Al Khalil webinar, including a special virtual delegation featuring Al Khalil native and activist, Muhanned Qafesha, who is also a member of Youth Against Settlements, an active anti-occupation group of Palestinian youth working against Israeli apartheid in Al Khalil. We will also be joined by the Director and Videographer of the Virtual Delegation, Michail Zananiri to discuss the violence he faced simply for trying to film in Al Khalil. A short discussion with Muhanned and Michail, including a Q & A session will follow the premiere of the virtual tour during the webinar. Register now at the link below. 

Please continue to support Eyewitness Palestine's efforts by donating, as we navigate through these dark times in order to educate, facilitate and collaborate!

VISIT AL KHALIL

When you're ready to visit Al Khalil make sure to check out these attractions, recommended by Eyewitness Palestine Staff!

The Old City of Al Khalil

The use of a local limestone shaped the construction of the old town of Al Khalil during the Mamluk period between 1250 and 1517. The center of interest of the town was the site of Al-Ibrahimi Mosque/The tomb of the Patriarchs whose buildings are in a compound built in the 1st century AD to protect the tombs of the patriarch Abraham/Ibrahim and his family. This place became a site of pilgrimage for the three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The town was sited at the crossroads of trade routes for caravans traveling between southern Palestine, Sinai, Eastern Jordan and the north of the Arabian Peninsula. The Old Town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site for its rich history. Today, the landscape of the Old City is marred by settlements and destruction by settlers aiming to force the Palestinians who live there out of their homes. 

Ibrahimi Mosque

The focal point of Al Khalil for most visitors is the  Ibrahimi Mosque.  The site is sacred to both Muslims and Jews and has been divided by Occupation Forces who enforce separate prayer spaces for each religion. Looking rather like decorated tents, the mostly Mamluk-era cenotaphs commemorate the patriarchs Ibrahim, Ishaq and Yaqub, and their wives, but it’s the cave below that both Jews and Muslims believe was chosen by Ibrahim as the actual final resting place of his family. You can peer into the cave through a metal grate in the corner of the mosque. As you walk into the room that allows viewing of the cenotaph of Ibrahim, note the small niche near the door where you can see a footprint. The Muslims believe this to be the Prophet Muhammad's footprint, while Jews believe it was created by Adam.

Hebron Ceramics & Glass Factory

This factory sits on the outskirts of Al Khalil, on the main road into the city from the north. It has been in the Natsheh family for 350 years. Visitors can observe glassmakers fire and blow everything from wine glasses to ornate colored bottles in the ceramic kiln, and buy souvenirs at the attached shop for a fraction of the prices in Bethlehem and Jerusalem.

Khaled Natsheh, who manages the factory, is happy to receive visitors and provide insights on Hebron's history of glass and ceramic making. The factory is located 15 minutes from the centre of the city and is one of a handful that tour groups tend to stop at on their way to the Ibrahimi Mosque. It is a must-see for an authentic experience in Al Khalil. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT AL KHALIL

Recommended Watch: How Israel Destroyed My Hometown

About the film: This month's film recommendation is a short documentary by award-winning Palestinian-American AJ+ journalist and author, Dena Takuri, as part of her Direct From series that highlights voices impacted by injustices directly. In this short film, Takuri returns to her father’s hometown to explore the effects of the Israel’s occupation on the residents of the ancient city. Takuri’s father was born near the Old City of Al Khalil one year prior to the establishment of the Israeli colony. Following the War of 1967, Al Khalil was left under Jordanian control. Later, Occupation Forces took complete control of the city. Takuri goes through the city, including the many checkpoints it takes to get into the city. She meets with former occupation soldiers  who are with the anti-apartheid group called Breaking the Silence. This is a short, but powerful film explores the harassment, humiliation and violence Palestinians are forced to live under while weaving through Takuri’s personal connections through the city as she traces her father’s footsteps in his hometown. 

The film is available to watch here on YouTube for free.

Recommended Read: The Way to Spring, Life and Death in Palestine by Ben Ehrenreich

About the book: Authored by renowned American journalist and long-time advocate for Palestine, Ben Ehrenreich, writes about the Palestinian struggle through the stories and experiences of those resisting Israeli oppression throughout historic Palestine, including Al-Khalil (“Hebron”). “I do not aspire in these pages to objectivity,” Ehrenreich writes in his introduction. “I don’t believe it to be a virtue, or even a possibility.” He calls the book “a collection of stories about resistance, and about people who resist. My concern is with what keeps people going when everything appears to be lost.” Everything seems lost to the Palestinians. Three quarters of them lost their homes in Palestine in 1947 and 1948. Many ended up as helots in neighboring countries, while the rest fell under Israeli military occupation in 1967. Since then, colonies of Israeli Jewish citizens have seized most of their land. The Israel Defense Forces demolish thousands of their homes to make the settlement project possible. The IDF restricts their movement, their actions, and their speech, all the while confining them to smaller and smaller spaces on a landscape that threatens to vanish completely.

The book is available for purchase here. 

Eyewitness Palestine
PO BOX 73798
Washington, DC 20056
United States

unsubscribe