The Hevron Jewish Community leadership is calling upon Jews all over the country to flock to the city in order to protect the Mitzpe Shalhevet neighborhood from destruction. The people of Amonah, overlooking Ofrah in the Binyamin region, on the other hand, are taking a "wait and see" approach for the meanwhile.
The Hevron neighborhood is located on land owned by Jews for over 500 years, but was populated by Jordanian Arabs after Israel's War of Independence. Israel's Supreme Court recently decreed that the land be "restored" to the Arabs, and local Jews say the IDF is preparing to carry out the order within the coming days.
Signs of the struggle the residents say can be expected in the event of an attempted expulsion were seen a week ago, when dozens of special-unit "Yassam" policemen and soldiers attempted to distribute expulsion orders to the 11 Jewish families living in the Jewish Quarter neighborhood. Both civilians and soldiers were lightly hurt in the ensuing fracas.
A prayer rally will be held this afternoon, on the fast of the 10th of Tevet, beginning with the recitation of Psalms at 3:30 PM. In between the Mincha and Maariv prayer services, words of encouragement will be offered by Hevron Rabbis Dov Lior and Moshe Levinger.
Beginning tomorrow, Hevron residents are hoping that hundreds of people will arrive in the city "in preparation for the possible attempt to expel Hevron families from their homes in Mitzpe Shalhevet." Large tents and subsidized meals will be available, but private tents, sleeping bags, warm clothing and a strong spirit are also recommended. Study programs and other activities will be available.
The Hevron Jewish Community reports that Israel's security forces have begun mobilizing in preparation for the planned expulsion. A camera has been placed atop an army post tower on the Abu Sneineh hills, facing the Mitzpe Shalhevet neighborhood. It was from those hills in 2001 that an Arab sniper placed 10-month-old Shalhevet Pass in his gun sights and fired a fatal bullet into her brain.
In addition, Hevron sources report, a Riot Squad member was seen entering another guard tower located at Gross Square, also equipped with cameras.
Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi of Rome, head of the Cultural Institute of the Italian Muslim Association, will be present. A vocal critic of Saudi Wahhabism (militant Islam) and an ardent supporter of Israel, Sheikh Palazzi is currently visiting Israel and will speak on Wednesday at the OU Israel Center on "Wahhabi World War III: How the West can Win."
About an hour's drive to the north, nine houses in Amona are also scheduled for destruction - and residents say it could happen any day. The Supreme Court ruled this past summer, in response to a petition by the extremist left-wing Peace Now organization, that the structures built there illegal and must be destroyed.
Peace Now maintained that the houses were built on land registered in the name of a private Arab citizen - but residents say this man has never shown up to claim the land. The government said at the time that because of "political sensitivity," it would rather wait until after the retreat from Gaza before beginning to act against Jews in Judea and Samaria. It is now feared that the decision might be implemented as early as next week.
Peace Now demands that the army demolish illegal structures. Illegal Arab construction in Judea, Samaria, and the Negev, however, dwarfs the extent of unauthorized Jewish building. A spokesman for the Negev District Police said recently that the Arabs have erected over 35,000 illegal structures in that region. Few if any of these structures are ever demolished.
Some three dozen families live in Amona, but none of them live in the structures to be demolished. Instead, they live in two-room caravans (mobile homes without wheels). "For a young couple to live in a caravan with one or two children is not impossible," one young mother who lives in Amona said, "but with four children, it's simply impossible." At least one family has moved out of Amona [and is now living in another Yesha town] because of the poor prospects that they will be able to move into a real house.
As in Hevron, the residents have made a call for concerned Jews to come and help them resist the army bulldozers - but have put it on hold in light of the uncertain government situation and intimations that the army might postpone the action.
But if and when the time comes, the residents hope that Jews will come to help them. "If these buildings are destroyed," one man said, "it means the beginning of the end for all of Judea and Samaria."
The Hevron neighborhood is located on land owned by Jews for over 500 years, but was populated by Jordanian Arabs after Israel's War of Independence. Israel's Supreme Court recently decreed that the land be "restored" to the Arabs, and local Jews say the IDF is preparing to carry out the order within the coming days.
Signs of the struggle the residents say can be expected in the event of an attempted expulsion were seen a week ago, when dozens of special-unit "Yassam" policemen and soldiers attempted to distribute expulsion orders to the 11 Jewish families living in the Jewish Quarter neighborhood. Both civilians and soldiers were lightly hurt in the ensuing fracas.
A prayer rally will be held this afternoon, on the fast of the 10th of Tevet, beginning with the recitation of Psalms at 3:30 PM. In between the Mincha and Maariv prayer services, words of encouragement will be offered by Hevron Rabbis Dov Lior and Moshe Levinger.
Beginning tomorrow, Hevron residents are hoping that hundreds of people will arrive in the city "in preparation for the possible attempt to expel Hevron families from their homes in Mitzpe Shalhevet." Large tents and subsidized meals will be available, but private tents, sleeping bags, warm clothing and a strong spirit are also recommended. Study programs and other activities will be available.
The Hevron Jewish Community reports that Israel's security forces have begun mobilizing in preparation for the planned expulsion. A camera has been placed atop an army post tower on the Abu Sneineh hills, facing the Mitzpe Shalhevet neighborhood. It was from those hills in 2001 that an Arab sniper placed 10-month-old Shalhevet Pass in his gun sights and fired a fatal bullet into her brain.
In addition, Hevron sources report, a Riot Squad member was seen entering another guard tower located at Gross Square, also equipped with cameras.
Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi of Rome, head of the Cultural Institute of the Italian Muslim Association, will be present. A vocal critic of Saudi Wahhabism (militant Islam) and an ardent supporter of Israel, Sheikh Palazzi is currently visiting Israel and will speak on Wednesday at the OU Israel Center on "Wahhabi World War III: How the West can Win."
About an hour's drive to the north, nine houses in Amona are also scheduled for destruction - and residents say it could happen any day. The Supreme Court ruled this past summer, in response to a petition by the extremist left-wing Peace Now organization, that the structures built there illegal and must be destroyed.
Peace Now maintained that the houses were built on land registered in the name of a private Arab citizen - but residents say this man has never shown up to claim the land. The government said at the time that because of "political sensitivity," it would rather wait until after the retreat from Gaza before beginning to act against Jews in Judea and Samaria. It is now feared that the decision might be implemented as early as next week.
Peace Now demands that the army demolish illegal structures. Illegal Arab construction in Judea, Samaria, and the Negev, however, dwarfs the extent of unauthorized Jewish building. A spokesman for the Negev District Police said recently that the Arabs have erected over 35,000 illegal structures in that region. Few if any of these structures are ever demolished.
Some three dozen families live in Amona, but none of them live in the structures to be demolished. Instead, they live in two-room caravans (mobile homes without wheels). "For a young couple to live in a caravan with one or two children is not impossible," one young mother who lives in Amona said, "but with four children, it's simply impossible." At least one family has moved out of Amona [and is now living in another Yesha town] because of the poor prospects that they will be able to move into a real house.
As in Hevron, the residents have made a call for concerned Jews to come and help them resist the army bulldozers - but have put it on hold in light of the uncertain government situation and intimations that the army might postpone the action.
But if and when the time comes, the residents hope that Jews will come to help them. "If these buildings are destroyed," one man said, "it means the beginning of the end for all of Judea and Samaria."