My Journey in Occupied Palestine - Part 2
Apartheid in Hebron
by Qasim Rashid
He couldn’t have been more than 17 or 18. A kid by any measure. His eyes lit up when he saw me.
“Brother, are you Muslim?” he asked.
“Yes. Asalaamo Alaikum brother,” I replied.
“Wa alaikum asalaam! What is your name, brother?”
“Qasim.”
“Are you here from America brother Qasim?”
“Yes.”
“Come. Let me show you Hebron. Let me show you my city, and our famous mosque.”
I smiled at him and nodded as we began walking together. The famous mosque he referred to was the Ibrahimi Mosque. A sacred and ancient mosque that is said to be the final resting place for prophet Abraham, his wife Sarah, their son Isaac and grandson Jacob, and their wives Rebecca and Leah.
An ancient mosque revered by Muslims, Christians, and Jews alike, tragedy struck when a terrorist attacked the Ibrahimi Mosque in the horrifying 1994 Cave of the Patriarchs massacre. A massacre executed by American-Israeli physician, Dr. Baruch Goldstein, who dressed up in an Israeli military uniform and opened fire on Palestinian Muslims as they worshipped, killing dozens and injuring hundreds. Goldstein committed his terrorist attack during the holy month of Ramadan. Below is a 30 second clip of the detailed tour my Palestinian host graciously afforded me in Hebron. I deliberately do not depict him or name him for his own safety.
Cick the picture and then scroll down to view video in the original article
A planned attack
Baruch Goldstein’s terrorist attack was not unexpected. He was a member of a known US State Department designated zionist terrorist organization called the Kach Movement. In 1981 the New York Times published a letter to the editor from Goldstein, where he wrote Israel "must act decisively to remove the Arab minority from within its borders.” And even as he worked as a physician in Israel, Goldstein reportedly refused to treat Arabs, even Arabs in the Israeli military.
Then, in 1993 Goldstein “acted decisively” and committed an acid attack on Palestinians at the Ibrahimi mosque, assaulting six worshippers. And despite warnings to the Israeli government from Israel’s own intelligence agency Shin Bet, that Goldstein was an existential threat to Palestinians, the Israeli government took no meaningful action to hold him accountable. Thus, Goldstein’s 1994 attack was his second attack, and the result of abject disregard for the safety of Palestinians living on their own land. On that fateful day on February 25, 1994, Goldstein murdered 29 Palestinian Muslims as they worshipped, and injured 125 more. He was finally subdued and beaten to death.
Inside the main hall of the Ibrahimi mosque, where known zionist terrorist Baruch Goldstein massacred 29 innocent Palestinians as they worshipped. [Credit: Personal photo]
One would think that Goldstein is today derided as the racist, terrorist, and mass murderer he was. And certainly many accurately deride him as that. Still, I was disturbed to find in Hebron an alter built in honor of Goldstein. And lest anyone claim this is a one off, the alter is built opposite Meir Kahane Memorial Park in Kiryat Arba, an illegal Israeli settlement next to Hebron. An entire memorial built to Rabbi Meir Kahane, the founder of the Israeli far-right political party Kach, which is the aforementioned US State Department designated zionist terrorist organization of which Goldstein was a devout member. And as we watched and observed Goldstein’s tomb, we witnessed illegal Israeli settlers arrive to pay their respects and prayers for him, praising him as a hero of Israel. Indeed, inscribed on Goldstein’s tomb in Hebrew is, “He gave his life for the people of Israel, its Torah and land."
Apartheid in Hebron
As I exited the Ibrahimi mosque my host greeted me with a smile and continued the tour of his home city. The city where he was born, raised, and had never left. We walked a few hundred meters down the street, past where we initially met. Momentarily distracted I looked down at my phone to respond to a text and kept walking. As I looked up I noticed my host had vanished. I suddenly walked alone. Bewildered I turned around and saw him standing about 25 meters behind me.
I waved my arm and motioned for him to come and continue our conversation.
“Come back brother. I cannot walk to you!” He yelled out to me.
Confused I walked back towards him, “What do you mean you cannot walk to me? Come, I’m enjoying our conversation. Let us continue.”
I arrived back to the imaginary line he seemed unable to cross. Like a mime stuck in a box, he could not move forward. As we spoke an Israeli family walked past us, impervious to the imaginary line blocking my Palestinian host.
Personal photo of Qasim Rashid
“You don’t understand brother Qasim. I cannot cross. They will arrest me.”
“Who??”
“Them.”
He pointed the Israeli soldiers dressed in full uniform, armed to the teeth with assault rifles.