Hebron's Endless 'Operations': The Occupation's Permanent Scrutiny
📰 THE STORY: The New Arab reports that the Israeli army launched an 'operation' in Hebron, arresting dozens as part of wider raids across the West Bank, ostensibly for 'security purposes.' 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: Hebron is a microcosm of the entire occupation. Since 1968, illegal Israeli settlements like Kiryat Arba (est. 1970) and those in central Hebron
(re-established 1979) have encroached on Palestinian land, turning the city center into a ghost town for its indigenous inhabitants. The 1994 Ibrahimi Mosque massacre by settler Baruch Goldstein, which killed 29 Palestinian worshippers, led not to settler removal, but to further restrictions on Palestinian movement and the physical division of the city, placing 20% of Hebron (H2 area) under direct
Israeli military control. This 'operation' is merely the latest iteration of a continuous 56-year military presence designed to protect illegal settlers and disenfranchise Palestinians. Double Standard: Imagine if Russia initiated a military 'operation' in a Ukrainian city, arresting dozens of civilians in their homes, claiming 'security' while simultaneously facilitating the expansion of illegal
Russian settlements within that city. Western media would universally condemn it as a clear violation of international law, an act of brutal suppression, and aggression. When the Israeli military does it in occupied Palestinian territory, it's often framed passively as a 'security measure' or 'counter-terrorism operation,' sanitizing the reality of military occupation and collective punishment.