Some 100 Jewish residents and sympathizers of the Hevron Jewish Community marched through Zion Route connecting Kiryat Arba with Hevron on Tuesday. They were led by Rabbi Dov Lior, Chief Rabbi of Kiryat Arba-Hevron, and veteran Yesha settlement enterprise leader Daniella Weiss of Kedumim.
The road was long closed to Arab traffic, following several terrorist attacks there in which several Jews were murdered. For several months now, however, Arab taxis and certain registered Arab cars are permitted to traverse the route. Part of the road is no longer used by Jews.
The road is famous for housing the contested Beit HaShalom, which was purchased by Jews yet sealed up by order of Defense Minister Ehud Barak after the seller denied that he had sold it.
The marchers did not ask for permission to march in areas that are more Arab-populated than Jewish, but the police and army provided protection in any event. The march began at Chazon David, a synagogue that has been built by residents and demolished by the army dozens of times; it has now been standing for several months, but residents say they are "somewhat concerned" about the new army commander who is about to assume command next week.
The march passed by the site of the murder of father-and-son Shalom and Mordechai Lapid in late 1993, as well as that of Sarit Prigal in July 1994. Some of the marchers also reached the village of Beit Anoun, not far from Hilltop 26, where Nati Ozeri lived with his family and was murdered.
"We intend to continue to strengthen our grasp in the City of the Forefathers," the Hevron Community announced, "similar to the activities being taken of late in Jericho and Shechem (Nablus). This week is special in that it marks the liberation of Jerusalem and Judea/Samaria 43 years ago, and it is appropriate that we enhance the breakthrough spirit of settlement throughout our homeland."