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Hebron

One of the oldest Palestinian towns - inhabited as is for centuries, with its hawkers, stalls, shops, vegetable market, and an Archeological Museum (with a collection of artifacts from the Cannanite to the Islamic periods). With its vaulted roofs and mazes of alleys it is a marvel which should not be missed.

Hebron is the second most important city to Jews, coming only after Jerusalem. The site of ancient Hebron has not been precisely determined. The Bible first mentions Hebron in connection with Abraham. The cave of Machpelah (also called the Cave of the Patriarchs; now enclosed by the Mosque of Ibrahim) is the traditional burial place of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah.

Constructed by King Herod, added to by the Crusaders and the Mamluks, it is one of the most imposing of ancient Palestinian monuments. The mosque covers the Cave of al-Anbia (Cave of the Prophets) containing the graves of six prophets and their wives - Moslems believe it is too sacred to descend into and have never entered.

As one of the major towns in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the city became a focus of Jewish-Arab tensions. Despite his stated differences with the Oslo Accords, Prime Minister Netanyahu continued its implementation, signing the Hebron Protocol with the Palestinians on January 15, 1997. The Protocol resulted in the redeployment of Israeli forces in Hebron and the turnover of civilian authority in much of the area to the Palestinian Authority. Pursuant to the Interim Agreement and the Hebron Agreement, concluded in January 1997, Israel redeployed its forces in Hebron. Since that agreement, there has been little progress in the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Israel imposed a closure on Hebron in 1998 after the murder of a Jewish settler there in August and also in September and October as a result of terrorist attacks. During those times, Israel established checkpoints around the city and restricted or prohibited the passage of persons out of Hebron as well as restricted or prohibited the passage of persons and goods into Hebron.