T3 Israel: Hebron

Hello, I have stories from Israel but alas, no time to write them! Or not until tomorrow afternoon. Until then, a few photos (with chunky captions!) from today’s visits.

Hebron, which until 1994 was a thriving town of mostly Palestinians. The storefronts in the H2 section are all closed now, and though more than 35,000 Palestinians live in H2 (as do 700 Jewish settlers), they do not live or do business here, and their rights to traverse the area are limited.

Our guide said Hebron is sometimes called “a ghost town.” It is not an exaggeration, or was not this day

The doors of a mosque which, according to our guide, local authorities allow to be used only by a man and his father

We saw very few people on the streets. Besides soldiers, there were two teenage boys trying sell us cloth wallets, and these children playing. Tomb of the Patriarchs in the background

“Get me out of this service,” meaning military service, this guard said to us, in English, when he came down from the roof. He was funny and friendly but nevertheless needed to see our passports. This was one of four or five times we were stopped today, including by two guards who demanded to know our religions: Was anyone Jewish? Muslim? After some over-talking and murmuring, one guard asked me directly. “Catholic,” I said, at which he showed some confusion and asked, “Everyone here is Catholic?” Yes, we said, for expedient’s sake. I later learned he thought I’d said “Catalan.” “And so,” our guide told me, “Ole.”