Oh Say Can You See

Hebron-Past, Present and Forever
Oh Say Can You See

September 16, 1995

Flag-mania has hit Hebron. International news crews are aiming their cameras

at the Kordova Girls School, located directly across the street from Beit

Hadassah and Beit Schneerson in the center of Hebron. The reason for the

attention: a "palestinian flag" raised on the roof of the building by its

present occupants.

For the last week or so flag ping-pong has bounced the colored cloth

up and down the flagpole. First, a few facts. At the end of last week it was

reported that ‘settlers' had attacked and beat Palestinian school girls. This

"unprovoked attack" was denounced by the American government. What really

happened? Very simply - the girls from the school decided to hold a special

"parade" down the main street of Hebron, through the Beit Hadassah

neighborhood. One of our good neighbors from Kiryat Arba, present at the

time, saw a big palestinian flag waving in the air, and removed it. He also

made a little bit of noise in the process, speaking his mind to the girls

carrying the flag. The girls, stripped of their flag, and it seems, also of

their bravery, panicked and began running every which way, including into each

other. The resulting news reports were that settlers had beat the girls. So

much for objective reporting.

Several days before this, on the same day that 13 Likud Knesset

members visited Hebron, Abraham Avinu neighborhood residents found a

palestinian flag adorning the skyline several meters away from their

buildings. The flag was atop a Waqf office building, adjacent to the

neighborhood. (The Waqf is the religious-political arm of Islam - they

control, among other places, Temple Mount in Jerusalem and to a great degree,

Ma'arat HaMachpela in Hebron.) The flag flew over the building all day. Only

that evening was it "mysteriously" removed and burned. So far it hasn't

reappeared.

On Tuesday of this week following the reappearance of the flag over

the Kordova school, and its abrupt removal by "unidentified" perpetrators, MK

David Zucker from the Meretz Party, visited the area. He told reporters that

the "settlers are the ugly side of Israel" and encouraged the principal of the

school. He told her to keep flying the flag.

What is official Israeli policy concerning palestinian flags? Private

citizens are "allowed" to fly flags, but they may not be flown over public

buildings. Major General Ilan Biran (who, in the past has not been known as a

"good friend" of Hebron, but has as of late, began changing his tune) has

specifically issued an order forbidding that the flag be flown from the school

building.

On Wednesday the flag made its grand appearance, once again, in the

morning. This time, MK Shaul Guttman, formerly of Moledet, assisted in

removing it. Havoc broke loose. Soldiers, police, Arabs and Jews appeared on

the scene. Two young policewomen attempted to arrest one of the Jewish women

who had participated in removing the flag. She resisted, and ran away. When

they finally caught up with her and handcuffed her, MK Guttman snapped the

second handcuff on himself. When they both disappeared, the police had to

arrest someone else in her place, so they found another victim. She was

arrested and charged with beating police and clawing them. (I can attest -

she has almost no finger nails and is about 5 feet tall, maybe. - Extremely

dangerous!)

I also spent the day in the police station. Why? In the middle of the

ruckus, an Arab appeared, carrying what looked like an eleven or twelve-year

old girl in his arms. She had been "attacked and injured" during the

struggle. She was so "seriously" injured that an ambulance was requested.

After she had been prepared for the journey to the hospital (less than five

minutes away) another young "victim" appeared on the site. She also needed

"immediate, emergency" medical attention. When the ambulance driver finally

finished preparing the two "victims of the peace process" he found that the

keys to the ambulance were missing. Not wanting to admit his negligence, he

pointed his finger at someone in the crowd - "There he is - he stole the

keys." And the thief was, none other than, yours truly. Several police

surrounded me and demanded the keys. I told them that I didn't know what they

were talking about, but of course, the word of an Arab against a Jew is the

epitome of truth. So, I was searched, (twice if I recall correctly). After

not finding the missing keys, I was ordered remanded for further investigation

and taken to the Hebron Police Station. There I was held, with three other

men, from 11:45 until about 5:30 that evening. I spent the day talking to

several policemen whose feelings for Rabin, Peres and Co. are harsher (if that

can be imagined) than mine. At 5:30PM a policeman asked for my name, id card

number and address, and sent me home. I wasn't questioned, warned, or

released on bail. Very simply sent home. I have the impression that they

didn't know why I was being held. I was never accused of anything nor was I

told specifically why I was being held. So rather than working that day, I

spent the day in the company of the men in blue.

Of course on Thursday it happened again. This time the police and

soldiers took things into their own hands and removed the flag before anyone

else had the opportunity. The results of that were demonstrations by about 60

Arabs on the street in front of Beit Hadassah and by Beit Romano, the home of

Yeshivat Shavei Hebron. Both demonstrations were broken up by security

forces.

Why do we make such a big deal over the flag? Is it really worth all

the trouble? The palestinian flag represents two major fronts which we will

not compromise with. First, it represents foreign sovereignty in Hebron.

Hebron is a Jewish city, the first Jewish City, and it is an integral part of

the State of Israel. We totally reject any display of foreign sovereignty in

our city.

The flag also represents terrorism, blood and murder. The flag

represents an institution which comprises terrorists who have, in the past,

proclaimed that the Jews must be "thrown into the sea." They have murdered

and continue to murder. They wipe their hands of Jewish blood on their flag.

While it is true that it is almost impossible for us to remove all of

the palestinian flags in the city or throughout Yesha, we see no reason to

allow them to be flown in front of our noses in the middle of our

neighborhoods. Any acceptance on our part of the palestinian flag in

neighborhoods where we live is tantamount to acceptance of palestinian

sovereignty in Hebron. This will never happen.