CPTnet
20 December 2007
HEBRON: Muslim feast day marred by Israeli military restrictions

On Wednesday 19 December, the Israeli military obstructed the way to the
Ibrahimi Mosque, in Hebron's Old City, for over one hundred Muslim
worshippers. Wednesday was the first day of the Muslim festival of Eid
al-Adha, when Muslims around the world attend morning prayers at their local
mosques.

At 6:30 a.m., CPTers Janet Benvie and Donna Hicks observed a small but
growing crowd of people waiting to pass through the checkpoint that leads to
and from the Old City, beside the Ibrahimi Mosque. The Israeli border
police on duty were allowing only two or three people through the turnstile
checkpoint at a time, causing the backlog.

While Hicks stayed to monitor the checkpoint, Benvie walked back through the
Old City where a patrol of Israeli soldiers were stopping and searching
Palestinian men and boys, some as young as fourteen, on their way to the
mosque.

By 6:45 a.m., the streets of Hebron's Old City were filled with families
trying to make their way to the mosque. The crowd waiting to go through the
checkpoint swelled at times to thirty or more people, amongst them young
children and elderly worshippers. Those delayed by the soldiers became
increasingly restive and angry, but no violent incidents occurred.

CPTers Delycia Feustel and Kathie Uhler monitored the other entrance to the
Old City, Bab il Baledeyya, where the Israeli army, armed with light machine
guns, were also stopping young Palestinian men and detaining them for a
short time at the Beit Romano checkpoint. Around 7:00 a.m., the Israeli
border police allowed the waiting crowd to pass freely through the
checkpoint, enabling people to finally make their way to prayers in the
mosque. The soldiers at the Bab il Baledeyya left the area and Palestinians
were able to freely enter the Old City.

However, the delays and movement restrictions continued when the morning
prayer ended. Israeli border police detained around fifty Palestinian men
outside the Ibrahimi Mosque for over twenty minutes after prayers. The
Israeli army prevented worshippers from returning to their parked vehicles
in the area above the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee office. CPTer Lorne
Friesen attempted to go the area but was stopped by an Israeli soldier who
told him "a suspicious object" was in the vicinity. At around 7:45 a.m.,
the team heard a controlled explosion (usually caused by soldiers shooting
into a suspicious-looking bag that turns out to be garbage) and the Israeli
army left the area, allowing the Palestinians to make their way home.

For photos go to: http://tinyurl.com/2n4cbp <http://tinyurl.com/2n4cbp>