Hebron Mayor Khaled Osaily met today with Arab Knesset members Mass’oud Ghanayem and Ibrahim Sarsour (United Arab List for Change) who visited the city in a show of solidarity with its inhabitants. The guests, accompanied by members from the “Palestine Forum”, were briefed by the Mayor on conditions in Hebron.

At the beginning of the meeting, Mayor Osaily underlined the common blood and patriotic ties which unite all Palestinians in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip or 1948 Palestine. He stressed the importance of ties and cooperation to defend common national rights and fulfil the Palestinian dream of an independent and sovereign Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its capital. Mr. Osaily also touched on what he described as a very important tourist and shopping activity by Palestinians of 1948 in Hebron, providing a push to the local economy and oxygen to Palestinians who suffer from Israeli closures on West Bank cities.

Speaking about political and security conditions in Hebron, Mayor Osaily told his guests that their visit to the Old City of Hebron will help them grasp the magnitude of Palestinian suffering as well as of security measures imposed on Hebronites in general and on Muslim worshippers at the Ibrahimi Mosque in particular. He also touched on settler outposts in the heart of the city which are a predicament for the city’s inhabitants. These outposts, he said, are the reason why streets are closed down and more than 112 checkpoints and road blocks are erected to protect settlers living in all illegitimacy in Hebron.

MP Sarsour condemned Israeli measures in Hebron and enquired about what Arab members of the Knesset could do to raise this issue inside Israel and to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians. He underlined the solidarity of all Knesset members from his Bloc with the city’s inhabitants, their rejection of settlements and settler presence in the Old City, and the relentless efforts they are willing to undertake to provide help to Hebronites.

MP Ghanayem spoke about the aims of this solidarity visit to Hebron: to reject all forms of occupation and Jewish settlements in the city;  to refuse all inhumane measures against unarmed Palestinians; to stress the Palestinian, Arab and Moslem character of the city; and to reject any alteration of the city’s nature or history.

The delegation toured the Municipality’s various departments accompanied by its Mayor and got acquainted with services provided to citizens, activities, and means to enhance work, improve service quality and provide support to the Municipality through relevant technical tools.

At the end of the meeting, the guests expressed their happiness at the developments they saw in Hebron and at the projects presented to them. They called for the organisation of a visit for all Mayors of Arab towns and cities in Israel to Hebron Municipality in order to exchange experiences and enhance cooperation. Mayor Osaily welcomed this suggestion and thanked his guests for their visit.