Weekly Commentary: Hebron – Israel’s National Heritage, Model of Joint
Access

Dr. Aaron Lerner Date: 13 May 2010

“How old are these steps? Well, let’s put it this way,” said Hebron
Spokesperson Noam Arnon, as he pointed to steps running between two Bronze
Age walls in Hebron, “when Abraham climbed these steps with Isaac, he might
have noted what great shape they were in despite their ancient origin.”

Now that’s a unique perspective.

When I joined the five buses from Raanana and Kfar Sava this evening on
their 200th visit to Hebron that coincides with the anniversary of the 1967
liberation of the city, I was reminded once again of just how unique this
Jewish historical landmark is.

So there we were going into a building built at the same time as Herod’s
spectacular Temple in Jerusalem.

That’s right.

Going into it.

Herod’s Temple was destroyed.

The building, that has the same architectural style and building methods as
the Temple, stands to this very day.

And yes. It does indeed sit on top of a “double cave” – a “Machpela” - as
described in the Bible as the final resting place of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac
and Jacob and other ancestors in the first recorded price gouging in a real
estate deal (“what’s four hundred shekels of silver between you and me?”
Ephron asked Abraham rhetorically).

For centuries of Moslem occupation Jews were denied access to this holy
site.

But in 1967, when the building finally returned to Jewish control, Israel
decided not to follow the Moslem precedent and claim exclusive Jewish
access. Instead Jews and Moslems share access, with each group assigned
space in the building along with exclusive use of the entire structure for
Jews and Moslems on the respective major holidays. [This gets a bit
complicated some years since the Moslem calendar is a lunar calendar without
a solar adjustment to the Moslem holidays are constantly shifting around the
year and sometimes coincide with Jewish holidays].

The Hebron model is proof positive of two important principles:

Open access to religions with contending claims to a site is only viable if
the site is under Jewish control.

That ongoing control can only be assured if it is supported by the presence
of a living community adjacent to the site.

These are principles that are crucial for Israeli policy makers to keep in
mind as they enter negotiations.

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(Mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
Website: http://www.imra.org.il