CPTnet
2 February 2007
HEBRON REFLECTION: Shabbat shalom?

by Janet Benvie

The Jewish Sabbath, 'Shabbat', begins at sunset on Friday and ends at sunset
on Saturday and the traditional greeting for it is "Shabbat Shalom," or
"Sabbath, peace."

Last Saturday was not a very peaceful Sabbath here in the Old City.

I was up on the roof of our apartment building, showing a visitor the
magnificent views of the Old City, when I noticed a group of Israeli
soldiers on a nearby rooftop. The soldiers were shouting and pointing their
guns at some people below.

I went, with another CPTer, to see what was happening. We did not have to
go far. A large crowd of settler visitors and about twelve Israeli soldiers
were at the end of our street. On the other side of the main thoroughfare
through the souq, just opposite our street, the normally busy teashop was
closed. Israeli soldiers were stopping Palestinians, some on their way
home, others visiting or shopping, and holding them, at gunpoint, some
distance away from the tour group.

We followed the visitors and their armed escort as they slowly made their
way along the main thoroughfare. The heavily armed soldiers reluctantly and
grudgingly resigned themselves to our presence, but insisted that the
unarmed Palestinian civilians stay twenty to thirty yards from them. The
soldiers were shouting and pointing their weapons at anyone who tried to
come forward. We asked the soldiers to allow some people to walk forward a
little so that they could continue their journeys through the narrow side
alleys opening off the main thoroughfare, but they refused.

Among the growing knot of waiting Palestinians I saw a young woman irritably
tapping her foot, clearly annoyed at having to wait, and an older man
anxiously looking at his watch, a worried frown spreading across his face.
Two young children, distracted by their own chatter, came running down one
of the side alleys, unaware until the last moment that their way was blocked
by soldiers. They stopped suddenly, frozen with fear. I stepped forward
and asked a soldier to allow them to pass, but he refused again to do so.

As I stood there observing the standoff, I thought about Shabbat Shalom. I
wondered what it meant to these frightened children, the anxious man or the
irritated woman. I wondered, too, what it meant to the Jewish visitors,
apparently comfortable with their armed escort.

Shabbat Shalom?