Over 25,000 Jews from throughout Israel - and even from abroad - gathered to celebrate this past Shabbat in the Biblical City of the Patriarchs, Hevron. As in previous years, the gathering was held to coincide with the weekly Torah portion of Chayei Sarah, in which the sale of the Cave of the Patriarchs (Me'arat HaMachpelah) in Hevron to Abraham is documented. The entire Machpelah Cave was open to Jewish worshipers, including the Yitzchak Hall that is generally open only to Moslems. Meretz MK Ran Cohen demands an emergency Knesset session to discuss the fact that the Arabs of Hevron were placed under curfew over the weekend in order to enable the Jewish visitors to arrive. Cohen said that the curfew infringed on the Arabs' basic rights - but he did not relate to the Jews' basic rights to visit their holy places, or other areas, without fear of being murdered.
Hevron spokesman David Wilder was barely able to restrain his joy after the uplifting Shabbat. "There were so many people here that it took me over a half hour just to get out of Me'arat HaMachpelah after services yesterday morning!" he told Arutz-7's Josh Hasten this morning. "It meant a tremendous amount to us to see so much support, especially after the events here of the last few weeks - the army pulling out of 80% of the city, the terrorist attack during the Sukkot holiday... It really shows that Am Yisrael Chai - the Nation of Israel lives."
Wilder added that guests arrived in Israel from North America especially for this weekend. He said that one such family that flew in from Canada to show its solidarity with Hevron had lost a grandfather during the 1929 Arab massacre, when 67 of Hevron's Jews were murdered in their homes by their Arab neighbors.
Hevron spokesman David Wilder was barely able to restrain his joy after the uplifting Shabbat. "There were so many people here that it took me over a half hour just to get out of Me'arat HaMachpelah after services yesterday morning!" he told Arutz-7's Josh Hasten this morning. "It meant a tremendous amount to us to see so much support, especially after the events here of the last few weeks - the army pulling out of 80% of the city, the terrorist attack during the Sukkot holiday... It really shows that Am Yisrael Chai - the Nation of Israel lives."
Wilder added that guests arrived in Israel from North America especially for this weekend. He said that one such family that flew in from Canada to show its solidarity with Hevron had lost a grandfather during the 1929 Arab massacre, when 67 of Hevron's Jews were murdered in their homes by their Arab neighbors.