Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Israel Says It Will Build a New Jewish Settlement in Hebron

Linda Gradstein

   JERUSALEM - Israel has announced a plan for a new Jewish settlement in
   the West Bank city of Hebron, which is holy to both Jews and Muslims
   and is a longtime flashpoint for violence. Palestinian officials
   condemned the move.
   Israel's new defense minister Nafatali Bennet announced his approval
   for a new Jewish neighborhood in Hebron, where about 1000 Jews live
   surrounded by 200,000 Palestinians. He said the settlement, which will
   be built near the city's old market, will double the number of Jewish
   settlers in Hebron. He also said it will create "territorial
   continuity" between an existing Jewish neighborhood and the holy site
   of the Tomb of the Patriarchs, which Muslims call the Ibrahimi mosque.

   The announcement said that the market's buildings will be demolished
   and replaced with new stores. It said Palestinians who own ground floor
   shops will receive the new shops.

   Jewish hardliners welcomed the move. The Jewish Committee of Hebron
   called it an act of historic justice, saying the market has been under
   Jewish ownership since the early 19th century.

   But Palestinians sharply condemned the Israeli decision. Palestinian
   chief negotiator Saeb Erekat blamed the US for the move, saying it was
   quote "the first tangible result of the US decision to legitimize
   colonization."

   He was referring to a statement by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last
   week that Jewish settlements in the West Bank are not illegal according
   to international law. That is a major change in US policy, but has been
   rejected by much of the international community.
   "The statements of Secretary Pompeo, as far as we're concerned, is null
   and void. It's an absolute departure of the Trump administration from
   the squares of international law. And once you depart from the squares
   of international law you open the squares of chaos, terrorism,
   extremism, violence and corruption," said Erekat.
   Hebron has long been a focus for clashes between Israelis and
   Palestinians. In 1994, an American-born Jewish settler opened fire
   inside the mosque killing 29 Palestinians. In 1929, Palestinians killed
   more than 60 Jews in Hebron.