Last December the Israeli occupation authorities set up a Jewish candlestick (Menorah – Hanukah) at the top of at Takruri mountain in the old city of Hebron. See Photo 1
The four meters high iron made candlestick stands close to a military watch tower that was erected there in the year 2000 over a piece of land owned by the Hebronite citizen Mr. Yusif Abbas Amro.
(Photo 2: the military watch tower )
Eye witnesses told LRC field researcher that back in the year 2003 the Israeli army's personnel occupied four five months the roof and third floor of the house of Mr. Muhi Eddin Mit'ib, a resident of at Takruri mountain and changed it into a military watch tower and garrison preventing the house owner and his family who were confined to the ground floor from using the front door of the house in their movement in and out of it forcing him to get a back door opened for this purpose.
In an interview with the house owner, he informed LRC field researcher that he levied a case in an Israeli court against the army supported by proper documents and, finally, won a decision to get them out of his house. After this development, the army occupied Mr. Amro's piece of land in front of Mit'ib's house which used to have an old palace on it and later destroyed by the army to make space for the erection of a permanent military base and watch tower in its place. See Map 1.
The only remaining old palace at the mountain is Abdeen's family palace after the destruction of Amro's palace.
( Photo 3: Abdeen's family palace )
A source of tension and danger
The Israeli military base is a source of continuous threat and terror against the Palestinians citizens living in that particular area as the Israeli soldiers continue to open random fire and carry out provocative actions accompanied by daily house and arrest raids. In this regards, one of the citizens told LRC field researcher that at one occasion a random bullet fired by an Israeli solders hit my child in the face causing him serious injuries in the jaw and no measures whatsoever has been taken against this soldier by any Israeli institution although the case was very well documented by many Israeli and international legal and human rights organizations.
He added that the Israeli soldiers manning the aforementioned military base prevent Palestinians from taking advantage of their land in the vicinity neither for agricultural nor for construction purposes.
The newly erected candle bra
As an ideological gesture and as a measure for fostering the occupation of at Takruei mountain in the heart of the old city the candle bra was erected and surrounded with a fence to prevent Palestinians' access to their land and facilitate Jewish presence at the site. People are afraid that this act is just the beginning for further Jewish settlement at the site especially following the latest increase and intensification of Jewish settlement in the heart of the occupied city.
It is worth mentioning that the newly erected candelabrum has eight main branches, plus a ninth branch set apart for the Shamash (servant) light which is used to start the other lights. This type of menorah is called a hanukiah in Modern Hebrew. The newly erected one in Hebron is illuminated by electric lambs. This type of Menorah is used as a reminder of the success of the so-called ' Maccabean revolt' against the Creeks in 165 BC or the Jewish feast of Chanukah ' which is the eight-day festival of light that celebrates the triumph against the Greeks and the miracle that happened after wards. 'When they sought to light the Temple's menorah, they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks; miraculously, the one-day supply burned for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity'. against the Greeks and the miracle that happened after wards. 'When they sought to light the Temple's , they found only a single cruse of that had escaped contamination by the Greeks; , the one-day supply burned for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of '. against the Greeks and the miracle that happened after wards. 'When they sought to light the Temple's , they found only a single cruse of that had escaped contamination by the Greeks; , the one-day supply burned for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of '. festival of light that celebrates the against the Greeks and the miracle that happened after wards. 'When they sought to light the Temple's , they found only a single cruse of that had escaped contamination by the Greeks; , the one-day supply burned for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of '.
To commemorate and publicize these 'miracles', the sages instituted the festival of Chanukah. Also, it is used to as a feast of giving of Chanukah gelt, gifts of money, to children.
The erection of this Jewish symbol in the heart of Hebron's old city is a clear provocation of the feelings of Muslims in the city who face increasing Israeli restrictions and limitations on their rights to freedom of worshiping reflected in the continuous closure of the Ibrahimi mosque in the old city of Hebron and the ongoing destruction of mosques and holy places as part of the Israeli aggressive and bloody war in Gaza.
( Photos 4 & 5: two of the electronic gates leading to the Ibrahimi mosque which hinder Palestinian access ) & : two of the electronic gates leading to the Ibrahimi mosque which hinder Palestinian access )
Prepared by:
The Land Research Center
LRC
