Passport? Passport? Passport?

I had resorted to open-carrying my passport 30 minutes after getting off the bus from Jerusalem into the Jewish part of the city of Hebron in the West Bank. This city has commonly been described as the most dysfunctional, troubled and tense city in all of Palestine’s West Bank but also the one that I would say is the most important to visit.

This is because it is the only Palestinian city where Israeli settlers have moved into the city itself. An Israeli settler is best described as an Israeli citizen who moves to the West Bank which has been ubder Israeli military rule since 1967 in direct opposition to international law but with full protection from the Israeli Defence Force (IDF).

So knowing this, after disembarking my bus I was expecting some tight security on the ground but this was a whole new level. The eerily empty streets were devoid of any activity save for armed patrols. I left the handful of tourists visiting the Cave of the Patriarchs to go visit Tel Hebron on the hill near the old city.

First Impressions of Hebron

The city was empty, I walked up David Hamelech street and was stopped by fully armed IDF soldiers at least five times. Each time showing my passport and answering a short array of questions regarding my business in the city. One soldier even took my passport with him to a checkpoint for what felt like 5 minutes but was probably closer to 1.

Was I just being paranoid, the tense security situation made me wonder if this place is so unsafe that this many troops were necessary or if they knew something that I didn’t about the potential for conflict.

Tel Hebron is an archaeological dig of the Biblical city from thousands of years ago with not much to see. However, it is host to the Jewish settlement of Tel Rumeida and the tombs of Jesse and Ruth who are prophets from the Jewish Bible.

Jesse is the grandfather of King David in the Bible and Ruth is Jesse’s grandmother. For that reason the Jews deeply revere these tombs and have a small synagogue on the site along with books and other objects of Judaica. There was also an Israeli watchtower with armed soldiers built right on top of it all.

I saw a sign on my way back down from this hilltop that directed me to a view of Hebron from the top of a settlement apartment block which had an open door and at the top, I took refuge from the constant passport checks.

The viewpoint has important monuments labeled from the bird’s eye view but the strange desert fog/dust browned out the sky and made photography fairly difficult.

Making my way down from the hilltop I was mercifully only asked twice for my passport. I should say that even though the checks were annoying and very intimidating, once the IDF soldiers saw that I was a tourist they would smile, shake my hand, practice English and in some cases help direct me where to go. They are normal people too and every once in a while it was nice to be reminded of that. I would like to think that at least some of these soldiers do not support the occupation and are also caught up in the struggles of politicians.

For evidence of this, look up "Breaking the Silence" whenever you get a chance. Some former IDF soldiers, specifically those who were stationed in Hebron have spoken up about their disagreements with the orders they followed and have formed a human rights NGO.

Next up was visiting the sight in Hebron that most tourists exclusively visit: The Cave of the Patriarchs. This is the reason that Hebron is the only city in the West Bank where Jewish settlers live inside the city itself. It makes Hebron one of the four holy cities of Judaism as well as the fourth holiest site of Islam. The half-mosque half-synagogue hybrid is unique in the world and sits on the site revered by the faiths as the site where the founder of Judaism (and by extent Christianity and Islam) is buried along with other related figures.

The Synagogue

It is surprising since this is at the heart of the struggle in Hebron that the security checkpoint to get in was so easy for me: just a simple metal detector and I was inside the grounds. A solicitor handed me a pamphlet with information of the sight and its importance to Judaism and I walked inside.

The majority of the outside of the mosque-synagogue is accessible to Jews whereas on the inside the majority of the space is reserved for Islamic prayer. On the inside it is impossible to know this though because of the layout. The synagogue side is much more linear and intimate. A Slovakian family was visiting as the only other discernable tourists that I saw inside.

While it is interesting to go from tomb to tomb inside, an interesting fact is that these are cenotaphs-symbolic tombs for people buried elsewhere. That "elsewhere" is said to be on the Muslim side.

Abraham's tomb is shared by both sides with bulletproof glass separating the two. This is with very good cause and the reason as to why most of the city is segregated and separated. In 1994 the mass murderer and American-Israeli religious extremist entered the mosque during prayer time and opened fire on 800 Palestinians killing 29. What followed were days of riots which resulted in a rupture in the city that has led to the situation that remains today. More inforomation on that "situation" later.

An Unexpected Tour (In a Good Way)

Upon exiting the Synagogue I rendezvoused with the family (a mother and daughter roughly in her 20s) from Slovakia that I saw inside the Cave of the Patriarchs and we decided to move around the city together since the security situation seemed so tense. Yeah, I was willing to compromise on solo travel because of how uncomfortable the passport checks had made me feel.

We planned on entering the mosque side and then from there continuing into the Palestinian side of this divided city but we struggled at finding the entryway into the other side until we were approached by a Palestinian man nearby who explained that it was currently prayer time in the mosque and we could return later but for now, he could show us around.

Great I thought, another one of those “official guides” that accost travelers in so many places. We decided to entertain his tour guide performance at least for a while where he showed us some parts of the Jewish side of the city promising that if we didn’t like this sample we could leave without any negative feelings but continue on if we wanted to.

He showed us abandoned businesses, doors welded shut and pointed out that the Palestinians who still live in the Israeli controlled parts of the city have installed bars over their windows to protect from harassment. If I’m being completely honest I didn’t pay too much attention to what he was saying at this point as I wondered what I should do next and how I always get stuck in awkward situations with these “guides”.

I have been in this situation before where fake tourist guide credentials can be flashed to the tourist to help give legitimacy to the guide. I do remember one thing in specific he pointed out, the place where a Palestinian mas was recently shot in recent clashes with IDF soldiers and he pulled up a video of settlers raiding a Palestinian home from a few days ago in order to occupy it.

Walking to the bus stop, a Jewish man came up to me and said, "Hey, my New Mexican friend!" I saw him and wondered where he knew me from. I pretended to remember him at the time and it wasn't until later I remembered him from sharing a room at a hostel in Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee where he had given me a package of Dead Sea dates. Small world. These gruesome stories were enough for the already apprehensive Slovakians to say that they had enough and they departed back to the bus stop at the Cave of the Patriarchs.

Finally, what convinced me of this man’s credibility was when he told me to ask an IDF soldier at a checkpoint between the Palestinian and Jewish side of he was a guide and the soldier recognized him and gave him credit so I figured if an IDF soldier is willing to say that this Palestinian is an official guide, he must have a good reputation. So the two of us continued on passing through the turnstile and entering the Palestinian neighborhoods of Hebron.

Exiting the Ghost Town

Though my now somewhat confirmed official tour guide was lamenting the departure of the European tourists saying how much they lost out on a great experience. He wasn't lying-what I was about to see would be one of the most impactful moments in my life.

Finally, shops were open though not all were operating there was finally some life in this city. Where most Middle Eastern souqs are buzzing with sensory overload, Hebron's old town has been described as a ghost town due to Palestinians abandoning the centuries old market stalls because of harassment from Jewish settlers. First stop was a glass blowing vendor who was hard at work on a furnace, the first time for me to see something so raw. There were no tourists this day but he was still working at his craft with whom I presume was his son by his side. Unfortunately due to spatial and monetary restraints I have while travelling I can never buy such large and intricate souvenirs as the glasswork on display in the shop.

Next stop was a place where there was no way I would enter by myself. A nearly collapsed and abandoned old building that my guide had told me was a museum at one point; I cannot confirm its previous function but that's not really the point of why he showed it to me. Instead it was to explain that although this part of the city has a Palestinian population it is entirely controlled by Israel and there is no way to renovate or improve buildings owned by Palestinians. Hebron is divided into H1 (Palestinian Authority) and H2 (Israeli control) and all of the old city lies in H2 so while Palestinians live there and Jews aren't typically allowed there, it is still controlled by the IDF.

There were piles of trash and missing walls, beyond repair but he promised that at some point this building was beautiful and an integral part of the old city's atmosphere. Now due to its proximity to a settlement it has been left to decay. A resident nearby was eager to tell his story of being hit by a tear gas cannister not fired by police or IDF but an average settler. One thing that I will repeat about Palestine is that everyone has a story.

Once back in the old city streets the guide pointed up, garbage was caught in wire mesh and not just a plastic cup or paper plate but stuff like old toilet seats lay on top weighing down the mesh. He explained that settlers are responsible for this. From upper floors of the city the settlers throw garbage onto the Arab city below but after the installation of this mesh overhead liquid waste has been thrown out more frequently, even bleach sometimes.

One market vendor promised to sell me "the key to Heaven" and pulled out a large key that once unlocked a Palestinian house before they were expelled. He also had some coins from the British rule era of Palestine which were fascinating to see. Though he was just trying to oversell the value of the key by calling it the key to Heaven, in retrospect for him to equate Heaven and an old Palestinian house gives some insight into the mindset of Palestinians.

The next vendor I met in the old city was a humble woman in a stall with the words "Women In Hebron" inconspicuously written on the side of the stall's door. She poured my guide and I a cup of tea and spoke very good English (in fact, most Palestinians seem to). They explained that the stall is supplied and run by a nearby cooperative which empowers women in the crafts by providing a creative outlet which keeps the continuity of Palestinian culture through crafts and provides income in an otherwise disadvantageous situation.

Hearing the objective of this stall, I knew that this is something special and a cause that I had to support and I felt that I should compensate the merchant for her kindness with the tea. I bought a scarf for an undisclosed sum of shekels which I would later gift to my mother because this was a cause worthy of supporting. She was so happy and threw in a bracelet since I was the first customer in days.

Continuing on through the old city there were ceramics, a bird salesman and a corner of the city cordoned off due to the pileup of settler trash.

Such conditions are beyond an abuse of power. No one can do anything about it and such deplorable behavior is endemic throughout the old city. I don't care what religion you follow, anything that advocates for violence or abuse of a human being is not of God and any religion that preaches otherwise is not worth following. This applies to all sides of the conflict but what I saw in Hebron certainly demonstrated where the current power dynamic lays. Like I said, this city affected me on a different level.

Finally we entered H1, Palestinian control and it was like night and day the difference. There was commerce en masse, the city finally felt alive, a departure of the depressing and politically divided old city, Hebron's new commercial center finally felt like a proper city. The old city was like this at some point, after the massacre in the 90s the city was uprooted and the entire dynamic changed with the city center unnaturally moved to the new city in H1. Despite the perpetrator being an Israeli citizen, it seems like the Palestinians were punished.

Returning to the Cave of the Patriarchs

My guide had to pick up a Russo-British tourist who was on the bus to the old city so at this point we began to make the return trip to the old city. We stopped at one of his friend's restaurants for a quick cup of fresh orange juice (which is everywhere in Palestine and cheap for tourists) and the recently opened old city museum. The lady at the entrance was about to close up but allowed me to have a look around first. There's something about Palestinian hospitality with travelers that is experienced in few other places in the world. The museum was a fairly modest exhibit which explained the ancient but mostly the recent history of the city and it had info on the Cave of the Patriarchs.

Speaking of which, it was finally time to return to the Cave of the Patriarchs or as the Palestinians call it, Ibrahimi Mosque I showed my passport and my guide showed his permit and we crossed through the turnstile to return into the Jewish side. In order to get to the mosque first you have to enter the checkpoint to the Jewish side and then the checkpoint to enter the mosque itself. It was at this checkpoint into the mosque that I can finally say my interaction with the IDF soldier was not very cordial as he wouldn't let me pass without berating my guide (I don't speak Arabic/Hebrew so I personally don't know what for) and then taking my passport to another room before returning it, disgruntled and with several other soldiers who let us in.

Finally after such a long day, I was in the other half of this structure which has caused so much strife in not just Hebron but in all of Israel and Palestine. This side to me was the more visually impressive with vibrant colors and calligraphy throughout. It also holds the cave for which the structure is named. A small hole is covered by a grate in the main prayer room. Venerated for millennia as the resting place of Abraham and his family, this is the cave. Never fully explored it is impossible to truly say what is down there beyond the oil lamps. As my guide was explaining this, several Muslim women were drawn to his story telling and wanted his contact info for a potential future tour.

Walking down the alleyway to exit the mosque, there was a short, eccentrically dressed man with a bundle of leaves in his hand. My guide said that he was a crazed mystic but I was so intrigued by his outfit that I greeted him and he wanted me to take a picture of him. After that he pulled me aside and for the next few minutes he gave me a blessing that I wish my guide translated because I have no idea what was said as he placed the leaves on my head and chanted a prayer. As we walked away I was thinking about how unique of an experience I just had but my guide seemed more so amused, repeating that he's crazy and talks to ghosts.

A final act of hospitality

This tourist arriving in Hebron was nowhere to be found and my guide kept calling him to find where he was. Another British tourist walked by with a female guide but it wasn't him so my guide was frustrated thinking that his next tourist either left already or was picked up by the wrong guide.

Now, my guide had mentioned that he worked with an NGO a few times here and there that aims at promoting peace in Hebron so we returned into the Palestinian side through a different checkpoint and walked to the Hope Center. He told me no photography of the people there since there were some conservative women living there. upon entering the building it was revealed that the British man had already made it to there and was waiting for my guide.

I was promised homemade Palestinian food but I didn't realize that it would be served by these women who lived as practical refugees in an NGO. Without a word of English, they demonstrated great hospitality to me and brought out some sort of rice and chicken dish with stuffed zucchini and grape leaves. It was unbelievably good and served with bottomless pitas and tea. I repeatedly said "shukran", thank you as one of the few demonstrations of my skills with Arabic.

It was revealed that the British man was originally an Al Jazeera reporter from Russia who had to quit his job and was living in the UK and decided to travel in the meantime. Even the tourists in Palestine all have a story.

It's hard to describe this meal but I had never had something quite like it, Middle Eastern foods is amongst the best in the world and this was plate made a good case for that argument.

Finally as I departed my guide got my Whatsapp info but unfortunately never followed up on the contact worrying that upon leaving Israel my phone could be searched and I would be in for a headache of questioning for having Palestinian contacts on my phone. I paid him for the day and he ordered a taxi to take me to the service stand from where I returned to Bethlehem.

As a retrospective, Hebron is essential to visit. It has impacted me in a way nowhere else has. I saw incredibly denounceable and terrible things there but also experienced great kindness and welcoming on both sides of the checkpoints. I won't soon forget this, my most memorable day of travel.