Hebron and Jerusalem The Impact of Loss of Control.

The struggle over the future of Jerusalem isn't only about religion-historical claims to holy sites or who gets to pray where and when. It's also about power-Israel's continuing demonstrations of power, while Palestinians attempt to salvage some shred of control over their lives. This struggle can be viewed through many lenses, but nowhere is it more clearly visible than in the tale of two Palestinian cities-East Jerusalem and Hebron-and the connections that bind their fate. In 1994, after an extremist Israeli settler, Baruch Goldstein, massacred 29 Palestinian worshipers in Hebron's Al Ibrahimi Mosque, the Israelis imposed several repressive measures that particularly impacted Hebron and Jerusalem. The Israelis claimed the measures were preemptive against Palestinian retaliation for the massacre. An Israeli committed the crime, but the Palestinians paid the price.

Palestinians living close to the few hundred Israeli settlers illegally occupying buildings on Hebron's Shuhada Street were evicted from their homes. The Israeli military deployed over 1,000 well-armed soldiers and closed off major streets effectively shutting down the souq. Where thousands of Hebronites once strolled and shopped, now just empty streets and closed Arab shops covered with graffiti reading 'Death to the Arabs' and 'Goldstein is our hero.'

This placed stress and hardship on Hebron as well as disruption to the economic well-being of the Palestinians of neighboring towns and villages. To protect the settlers of nearby Kiryat Arba, the Israeli military established numerous checkpoints and closed side roads. Navigation of the checkpoints became absurd: Arabs driving from nearby villages were forced to park outside one barrier and then walk to the next, 50-meters away, to secure a taxi into Hebron. Settler rioting, empty Arab shops, police beatings of Palestinians, the closure of the old city and destruction of its economy, daily harassment and pressure-this is daily life in Hebron.

Meanwhile, at the scene of the massacre, the Al Ibrahimi Mosque, Israelis took complete control, physically divided it, unequally, into Jewish and Muslim sections. Jews have relatively free access to the building, while Palestinians are forced to wait in humiliating lines and pass through numerous Israeli-controlled checkpoints. On dates of religious importance to Judaism, Israelis routinely close the Mosque...