Hebron is a city that is divided into two zones- H1 and H2. H1 is administered by the Palestinian Authority, yet it has limited power. The Israeli Army can- and does- enter it frequently, often sparking clashes.
In H2, a population of some 30,000 Palestinians (according to Wikipedia), live under the boot of a military occupation, that was put in place to protect several hundred Israeli settlers who have moved in there soon after the West Bank was conquered by Israel in 1967. To be fair, there used to be a Jewish presence in Hebron until 1929, when some Palestinian extremists murdered several dozen Jews and forced the others to evacuate the city... it is also worth noting that during this pogrom, other Palestinian inhabitants of Hebron helped hide their Jewish neighbours. The settlers who arrived after '67 were not the families of these people.
The settlers take over homes, and from them make the lives of Palestinians as difficult as possible. Rocks are thrown at children on their way to school. Water, bleach and even urine is dumped on people doing business in the market below. When settlers go on a parade, the Israeli Army cordons off whole sections of H2, severely disrupting business that for many shopkeepers is necessary to survive. The Israeli Army holds up Palestinians at checkpoints, and attacks any who dare to protest. Homes are also destroyed, as well as farms on the outskirts of this city.
The daily mistreatment and humiliations cause resentment and anger, and lead to demonstrations, some of them violent, where rocks are thrown at the army. When this happens, the soldiers will shoot rubber bullets, teargas cannisters, and sometimes live ammunition at the kids and young men confronting them.
The occupation of Hebron is the most extreme example of what the Israeli government is doing to the Palestinians in the West Bank. However, it is only one of many crimes that are being committed against them.
I do not support suicide bombs or kidnappings or shooting at Israelis, that some Palestinian armed groups commit and have committed in the past. I do not support the rockets being launched from Gaza. Such actions injure and kill innocent people, and are crimes. Even for non-Christians (and sadly, also many Christians) who do not believe in loving one's enemy, such actions are seen as wrong. There are some people among Palestinians and others who do hate all Israelis and Jews, and want to see all Israelis killed. They do not make up the majority of Palestinians.
However, such Israeli policies like what we are seeing in the West Bank (not to even mention Gaza) help cause anger and hatred, and drive some towards extremism.
Soldiers like these guys are there to enforce the occupation
Bullets that have been fired at Palestinians who throwing rocks
A restaurant named in tribute to Rachel Corrie, an ISM activist who was murdered in Gaza in 2003. It is located in H1.
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