The first buds of a new neighborhood between Hevron and Kiryat Arba have already sprouted, even as concerns arise that Prime Minister Sharon did not really mean it when he called for Jewish construction there earlier this week. At least one family has already moved into a large container along the road connecting the two cities, and the residents have named the fledgling neighborhood Gedudei Giborim, or "Battalions of Heros." Three Palestinian terrorists ambushed a unit of soldiers on Friday night along this road, mowing down four soldiers, five Border Guard policemen, and three civilian fighters.
The new Gedudei Giborim family - parents and two children - welcomed visitors from around the country, including a busload of young women from Gush Katif and a delegation of the Christian Coalition leadership, including President Roberta Combs. The groups also visited other sites in Kiryat Arba and Hevron, including the homes of families mourning their loved ones who fell in the battle, the Machpelah Cave, Beit Hadassah, and more.
The residents of the area strongly object to the wall that the army quickly began putting up on Sunday, and work on it has been stopped; some of the concrete blocks have even been taken down. Hevron spokesman Noam Arnon said,
"Suddenly we see that Sharon apparently means something [other than what we thought]: he means a ghetto, and we told him that we will not agree to this. If he thinks that he will build us a concrete wall that will turn us and the visitors to Hevron into a ghetto, he is making a big mistake. These walls signal fear; the terrorists will be able to come right up, attack us from behind them, and then run away without us being able to respond... This plan broadcasts weakness, defeatism, and cowardliness, and we will not allow it. We have already left the ghetto, and we're not returning."
The new Gedudei Giborim family - parents and two children - welcomed visitors from around the country, including a busload of young women from Gush Katif and a delegation of the Christian Coalition leadership, including President Roberta Combs. The groups also visited other sites in Kiryat Arba and Hevron, including the homes of families mourning their loved ones who fell in the battle, the Machpelah Cave, Beit Hadassah, and more.
The residents of the area strongly object to the wall that the army quickly began putting up on Sunday, and work on it has been stopped; some of the concrete blocks have even been taken down. Hevron spokesman Noam Arnon said,
"Suddenly we see that Sharon apparently means something [other than what we thought]: he means a ghetto, and we told him that we will not agree to this. If he thinks that he will build us a concrete wall that will turn us and the visitors to Hevron into a ghetto, he is making a big mistake. These walls signal fear; the terrorists will be able to come right up, attack us from behind them, and then run away without us being able to respond... This plan broadcasts weakness, defeatism, and cowardliness, and we will not allow it. We have already left the ghetto, and we're not returning."