Israel Matzav

Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs threatens Arab participants in Hebron meeting with local Jews

On Sunday, Israelis and 'Palestinians' living in Hebron participated in an historic meeting in which the Jewish community thanked the Arab community for not destroying a Jewish synagogue located just outside Kiryat Arba (a suburb of Hebron) that was built on Arab-owned land.

The leaders of the two main Arab family clans in Hevron and of the Jewish community in the city met on Sunday to renew the friendly Jewish-Moslem ties that once existed there.

Sheikh Abu Hader Jaabri and Haj Abu Akram Abu Sneineh, who together represent the majority of the population of Hevron, met with Kiryat Arba Mayor Tzvi Katzover, Hevron Jewish Community spokesman Noam Arnon, IDF Hevron Commander Yehuda Fuchs and others. Arnon later described the meeting, held in Sheikh Jaabri's large and luxurious home, as "warm and hearty, during which the participants declared their wish for peace and security in the City of Patriarchs." Each side granted the other a certificate of appreciation.

The meeting was the outgrowth of an incident that occurred five months ago, on the night of Rosh HaShanah. A radical group of left-wing anarchists planned to destroy a makeshift synagogue named Hazon David, just outside Kiryat Arba. It was originally established in mid-2001 following the terrorist murders of Kiryat Arba residents David Cohen and Chezi Mualem nearby.

The "peace" activists, however, did not take one factor into account in their attempt to destroy the synagogue: Sheikh Jaabri, on whose property it was built. He told them that he refused to sanction the destruction of a house of prayer on his property - and the act of Rosh HaShanah vandalism was thus avoided.

Of special interest is that the person who informed Jaabri of the plan was none other than Yitzchak Magrafta - a peace activist himself, who not only helps local Arabs in their humanitarian needs, but also works for peaceful coexistence between Jews and Arabs in Hevron.

It was therefore only natural that the meeting between the sheikhs and the Jewish leaders - at which the latter wished to thank the former for preventing the destruction of the synagogue - was "mediated" by Magrafta, who also served as a translator.

Here is a video of the meeting. Note that at the end of the tape, the broadcaster says that the 'good terrorists' from our 'peace partner' Fatah's al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades have said that they will 'deal with' the Arabs who attended the meeting. Somehow, I doubt they will be presenting with bouquets of roses and boxes of chocolates.



But it wasn't just the 'militants' of al-Aqsa who objected to the meeting. This is Arutz Sheva again:

A few hours afterwards, Sheikh Jaabri was summoned by Palestinian Authority officials for a "discussion" of clarification. Posters were also hung throughout the city against the Sheikh for his meeting with the Jews.

...

Fatah's Al-Aksa Brigades terrorists hung posters against the sheikhs, including calls to boycott their extensive business interests. In addition, the PA - perceived internationally as a "moderate" element in the region - summoned Sheikh Jaabri for a discussion. It appears that the sheikhs' wide influence in the city, however, tips the scales; the PA released him shortly afterwards, and the posters will apparently soon be removed.

Read the whole thing.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:45 PM