Defense Minister Moshe Dayan walked a thin line between the demands of Arab residents of Hebron and those of Jewish settlers in the new suburb of Kiryat Arba. Gen. Dayan visited the West Bank town today and spoke to its mayor. Sheikh Mohammed Ali el-Jaabari.
He also met with the Kiryat Arba settlers who he urged to refrain from provoking the Arabs. He told them to establish a friendly relationship with their Arab neighbors and to take into consideration the latters’ legitimate wishes and interests as long-time inhabitants of the town.
Rabbi Moshe Levinger, leader of the Jewish community, said they would welcome a visit by Mayor Jaabari. But they accused the government of discouraging large-scale Jewish settlement in the Hebron area and on the entire West Bank. They asked Dayan to convince the government to confiscate more Arab lands so that more housing can be built and more immigrants settled in Kiryat Arba.
Gen. Dayan was asked by Mayor Jaabari to take up the release of detainees, development of the town and the maintenance of Arab autonomy on the West Bank. The Defense Minister, who described the Hebron mayor as “an eminent personality” said the Israeli government wanted to keep Hebron from being dependent in any way on the Jewish quarter in Kiryat Arba.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
