Following reports of the Jabari clan from Hebron contacting Minister Nir Barkat to establish a local emirate in Hebron and join the Abraham Accords, a storm has erupted in Palestinian Arab media.
Local tribes quickly disassociated themselves from the move, but the spokesperson for the Jewish community in Hebron, Noam Arnon, is convinced that it is an authentic initiative representing the will of the local public.
“In a clan of tens of thousands of people, there are diverse opinions, but the overall spirit is clear – a desire for clan leadership under Israeli sovereignty,” says Arnon. According to him, the movement is impossible without an Israeli sovereign infrastructure: “They have been rebelling against the PA for a long time. This is authentic local leadership that is no longer willing to live under the rule of ‘the corrupt ones’.”
Arnon emphasizes that the term “emirate” does not describe an independent state but a local leadership that will operate under Israeli sovereignty and meet the tradition and needs of the residents. “It’s not an emirate like the United Arab Emirates. There is no aspiration here for a military or foreign relations – it is a municipal government based on tradition, family, and community responsibility.”
When asked about the concern of terror gangs targeting the local initiative, he replied, “The State of Israel must stop backing the PA and start providing economic and security means to our friends – those who truly wish to live in peace with us.”
He adds, “The economy is the engine of sovereign and security rule. Hebron is the richest city in Judea and Samaria, selling goods to Israel worth about 10 billion shekels a year. This is a solid foundation for building good neighborliness.”
Referring to Hebron’s bloody history, Arnon stressed, “Yes, there are terrorists – they need to be thwarted. But the vast majority of the population is not like that. There is a daily quiet route to the Cave of the Patriarchs through the areas of the Jabari clan – and this is a reality that needs to be strengthened.”
Arnon severely criticizes the situation that has developed since the Oslo Accords: “We have put the residents into a trap, with no real choice – only between racist Palestinian nationalism and Islamic jihadism. We must offer an alternative: peace, health, education, ecology. This is our responsibility as a state.”
In conclusion, he warns against establishing a Palestinian state: “If we don’t offer our sovereignty, the residents will be left with no way out under corrupt and terrorist rule. This is a historical responsibility that the State of Israel cannot shirk.”