Israel Approves Expansion of Jewish School in Hebron Amid Controversy

On Wednesday, Israel gave the green light to the expansion of a Jewish school for settlers in the heart of Hebron, a Palestinian city in the West Bank. This construction initiative has drawn criticism from Palestinians who argue it breaches a long-standing agreement.

The decision was announced by Israel’s finance minister, a day after he revoked a deal that had granted the Palestinian municipality some control over planning and construction in Hebron’s historic zone. This area includes a highly contested holy site.

Hebron houses more than 1,000 Jewish settlers living alongside tens of thousands of Palestinians, all under strict Israeli security oversight. The region around the Cave of the Patriarchs, revered by Muslims, Jews, and Christians, is a focal point for Jewish settlers’ expansion efforts.

The 1997 Hebron Agreement established that Israeli troops would remain in the area, with construction typically needing approval from the Palestinian municipality, especially near the shrine.

Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, a member of the far-right, shared that plans for a substantial building—spanning approximately 10,000 square feet—for a Jewish school in Hebron’s historic center had received approval. He expressed a commitment to expanding the Land of Israel and advancing de facto sovereignty within the settlements.

Issa Amro, a Palestinian activist residing in Hebron, voiced concerns that the unraveling of parts of the Hebron Agreement might deprive Palestinian inhabitants of essential services. He perceived this action as a strategy to undermine Palestinian life and force displacement.

It means ethnic cleansing of Palestinian families from their homes, and more displacement, Amro stated, condemning Israel’s actions as a theft of Palestinian aspirations for a state and a peaceful future.