A rough guide to Hebron: The world's strangest guided tour highlights the abuse of Palestinians

[bemildred]

Close to the Tomb of the Patriarchs, the site holy to both Muslims and Jews in Hebron's city centre, Yehuda Shaul, a religious Israeli who served in an elite Army combat unit in the city during the worst of the Palestinian uprising, is trying to guide a tour round four Jewish settlements in the heart of an overwhelmingly Arab city.

It starts in Shuhada Street, which runs through what is now the settlers' security zone, the rows of empty Palestinian shops and houses boarded up with steel shutters, many daubed with Stars of David to show who is in charge here. The only permitted vehicles are those of the settlers and the Israeli military.

Shaul is seeking to demonstrate to his visitors that the settlements and the formidable military apparatus which protects them have violated the human rights of the Palestinians who live – or increasingly no longer live – in what was once the teeming Arab city centre.

But his every footstep is dogged by another religious Jew conducting a non-stop monologue designed to drown out Shaul's explanation of what his visitors are seeing. "Yehuda Shaul – he helps the Arabs," Baruch Marzel tells them, before making clear his view of the two-state peace deal with the Palestinians which the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, US President George Bush and a majority of the Israeli public say they want. "Do you think if there is going to be an agreement that you will be allowed to pray at this tomb? Only because there are Jews living here can you visit the tomb. He isn't telling you about the 40 terrorist attacks there have been on Jews here. You can visit our Hebron centre and learn the truth about Hebron, not the lies Yehuda Shaul is filling you with."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/a-rough-guide-to-hebron-the-worlds-strangest-guided-tour-highlights-the-abuse-of-palestinians-773018.html

[Fredda Weinberg]

1. Tomb of the Matriarchs is where our infertile women pray for children

I'm not sayin' it ain't precious to the Muslims, but this how much it means to us.

[angstlessk]

2. why don't those women go to a clinic instead where REAL help can be had?

instead of praying for a miracle that might happen because one was misdiagnosed???

[Fredda Weinberg]

3. Because it works. Sorry you had to ask. n/t

[angstlessk]

4. HELL TELL THE WORLD...it works...bull crap...

prayer of infertile women works if they pray at a certain place??? YOU ARE FULL OF CRAP! Either they were not infertile to begin with or you are... what do we say about boosh??? oh, yeah...disingenuous!

[Fredda Weinberg]

7. Well, that was considerate and polite. Where I come from, this is

how we do things. I may associate w/you, but honestly, you're no improvement on those you despise.

[shaayecanaan]

8. The Tomb of the Matriarchs

is in Israel proper, near Galilee. The Tomb of the *P*atriarchs is in the occupied territories. You might be confused by the fact that there are both matriarchs and patriarchs entombed in the latter, but they are two entirely different puppies.

[henank]

9. Nonsense

The Matriarchs are buried in Hebron in the Cave of Machpela, together with the Patriarchs. The Matriarch Rachel is buried just outside Hebron on the road in Kiryat Arba/Efrata. That is the Matriarch that Fredda Weinberg was referring to.

[shaayecanaan]

10. I might be a lowly, sheet-wearing, shovel-nosed Arab

who breeds too much, has bad teeth, etc etc, but we do go back a thousand years. Give me some credit.

The "Tomb of the Matriarchs" is near Tiberius. The "tomb of the patriarchs" is in Hebron. Sometimes the latter is known as "The Cave of the Matriarchs and the Patriarchs" by your lot, which is probably a better title. As I said, I am well aware that there are both matriarchs and patriarchs buried in there and nearby.

[henank]

11. I couldn't give 2 hoots what Halloween disguise you're wearing

or what your personal hygiene habits are. Such outer shell cannot change the facts. The "Cave of the Patriarchs" in Hebron, aka the Cave of Machpela, contains the remains of the Jewish Patriarchs and Matriarchs: Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah, and according to legend, Adam and Eve. Jacob's other wife Rachel is buried outside Hebron in her own tomb. This is the tomb to which Fredda Weinberg referred, where Jewish women will pray to have children.

Any tomb of any matriarchs near Tiberius is nothing to do with the Jewish people. Perhaps it is connected to the Christians and not the Jews.

You refer to "your lot" in your comment. Are you referring to the Jews? Nice non-racist way to refer to them. Why are they "my lot?". Do you have any idea what religion I am? Have I made any reference to it?

[shaayecanaan]

12. I know...

or what your personal hygiene habits are. Such outer shell cannot change the facts. The "Cave of the Patriarchs" in Hebron, aka the Cave of Machpela, contains the remains of the Jewish Patriarchs and Matriarchs: Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah, and according to legend, Adam and Eve. Jacob's other wife Rachel is buried outside Hebron in her own tomb. This is the tomb to which Fredda Weinberg referred, where Jewish women will pray to have children.

Yes, I know all of that. Sometimes it is called either the "Tomb of the Patriarchs" or the Cave of both. Its *never* called the Tomb of the Matriarchs, because there is already one of those, near Tiberius, with Moses' mother, Moses sister, etc, in there. Cant remember their names though.

Any tomb of any matriarchs near Tiberius is nothing to do with the Jewish people. Perhaps it is connected to the Christians and not the Jews.

Really? Is that official? Can we have it then? Its nice country up that way, balmy but not too dry. Good for olives, grapes and whatnot.

[bemildred]

13. LOL.

Welcome to DU and the I/P forum.
:hi:

[Scurrilous]

14. Tomb of the Matriarchs

"The Tomb of The Matriarchs in Tiberias, Israel is the traditional burial place of several Biblical women. Leah's handmaid Zilpah, Rachel's handmaid Bilhah, Moses' mother Jochebed, Moses' wife Zipporah, Moses' sister Miriam and Aaron's wife Elisheva are believed to be buried in this tomb which is surrounded by a stone-wall."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_of_the_Matriarchs

[Fredda Weinberg]

15. No ... my bad ... these are old memories ... I'd forgotten where Rachel died

There is an ancient tradition regarding the 'segulah' ( charm), a scarlet thread that is tied around one's neck or wrist as a protection against all forms of danger, this charm works especially for pregnant women. Before the thread may be used, it must first be wound around the Tomb of Rachel, transforming the thread into a special 'segulah'. Even today, women will circle the tomb with a scarlet thread in their hands.

This is done only at the Tomb of Rachel, because Rachel was considered the "eternal mother," caring for her people when they are ill.Rachel is also deemed the perfect mediator for a pregnant woman, especially when she goes into the delivery room.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel%27s_Tomb

If it sounds superstitious ... well, we are. Even my secular mother believed in the evil eye.

[LeftishBrit]

5. Good for Shaul!

[bemildred]

6. Yeah, sounds like a mensch.

It's clear he annoys the right people:

"Yehuda Shaul – he helps the Arabs"