The Israeli government has finally capitulated and agreed to allow a mission from UNESCO, the UN’s cultural arm, to visit sites within the Old City of Jerusalem starting May 19.

Israel has also has agreed to take part in a Paris meeting of experts next month on the Mughrabi Ascent. There’s no telling what those experts want, other than to harass Israel a little more over the Mughrabi Ascent saga.

The Mughrabi Ascent is a sand embankment which provides access to the Mughrabi Gate of the Temple Mount from the area of the Western Wall.

During the winter of 2004, the Mughrabi Ascent collapsed because of too much rain, too much snow and a little earthquake. Since the Mughrabi Gate is the only entrance for non-Muslim visitors and Israeli security forces to the Temple Mount, a temporary wooden bridge was erected, and plans were drawn for a permanent bridge.

There also happens to be an archeological excavation going on at the same site.

Israel has been acting transparently, both regarding the excavation and the plans for a permanent bridge to connect the Kotel area to the Temple Mount. The Palestinians have a vested interest in sabotaging both the archeology and the bridge building. So why should Israel acquiesce this time?

Because in return for cooperation with UNESCO, the Palestinians will postpone five resolutions “condemning Israel’s occupation of the West Bank.”

“It’s a door that was opened,” Israeli Ambassador to UNESCO Nimrod Barkan told the Post. “It’s a move toward confidence building and an attempt to see whether there is forward movement.”

Palestinian Ambassador Elias Sanbar said the five resolutions condemning Israel are in areas from settlements to archeological excavations. And the Palestinians are not deleting them, the are simply postponing them until September.

Bully for us!

So, let’s see, what could be so bad about admitting an UNESCO mission officially into East Jerusalem?

Back in October 2010, UNESCO’s Executive Board voted to declare the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron and Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem as “al-Haram al-Ibrahimi” and “Bilal bin Rabah Mosque,” stating that they were “an integral part of the occupied Palestinian Territories” and that any unilateral Israeli action there was considered a violation of international law.

So, based on the above, how do you think this new UNESCO mission is going to end? Are we going to be spared new condemnations and name changes from Hebrew to Arabic?

As the Washington Post put it on Tuesday, the decision to let the mission roam our streets was “a victory that carried big hopes for those hoping to end the deadlock between Israelis and Palestinians.”

That’s two hopes in one sentence, which could only mean the Post can no longer afford line editors, or that there’s a whole bunch of hope coming our way.

The monument after IDF soldiers cleaned it up. Photo: Tazpit New Agency

Shimshon Battalion soldiers, posted in Hebron, on Sunday, Israel’s Memorial day, cleaned up a monument in memory of a Jew who were murdered in Hebron in 1980. The monument is situated in the city Casbah, an area of shops and Cafés that’s off-limits to Jews nowadays. After cleaning up the monument, which had been defaced by Arabs, the soldiers lit a memorial candle.

The Casbah in Hebron has been closed to Jews in recent years. But in consideration of the fact that there are many houses and property inside the Casbah which belong to the Sephardic Jewish community “Magen Avot,” to Chabad Lubavitch and to the Jewish families, such as the Hausmans, that built their home in Hebron more than a century ago, the army permits a guided tour of the area every Saturday.

During a Passover tour, participants were shocked to see the monument of Joshua Salome desecrated with black spray paint, to the point where it was very difficult to read the inscription.

Joshua Salome grew up in an assimilated environment in Denmark, came to Israel as part of the Bnei Akiva training, and studied at the Hesder Yeshiva Nir in Kiryat Arba.

Thirty-three years ago, as he was walking among the stalls in the Hebron market (which back then was still open to everyone) to buy fruits for Tu Bishvat, Joshua was attacked and murdered by one Ibrahim Mahmoud Mohamed from Yeta village.

It was one of the first murders of a Jew in Hebron since the massacre of sixty-seven Jews in 1929.

Following the murder of Joshua Salome, then Defense Minister Ezer Weizman passed a resolution to establish a Jewish settlement in Hebron.

Wide public debate was aroused after Joshua’s kidneys had been transplanted into the body of a pro-terrorist Arab woman.

The terrorist who killed Joshua Salome was released as part of a gesture of good will by Shimon Peres.

Because the Casbah is barred to Israeli citizens, the monument had been standing dishonored until last Sunday.

The Jewish community of Hebron told Tazpit it was grateful to the IDF soldiers for the fine gesture.

David Wilder who filed this report was too worked up to notice the hilarious banner carried by Palestinian Arabs in Hebron, condemning Israel’s “Hebron apartheid” (Arabs have access to the entire city of Hebron, while Jews are limited to about 30 percent of the city — that IS apartheid… Things became serious shortly thereafter, but seeing as the banner was intended for Barack Obama to read, we urge the president to send more funds to teach Arabs basic spelling. Unless they really do have a dram (a unit of liquid capacity equal to ¹⁄₈ fluid ounce) they want to fulfill… — Yori Yanover.

Late Wednesday morning, I made my way from our offices in the Avraham Avinu neighborhood of Hebron to Beit Hadassah, a few minutes away, to speak with a group there. Being a few minutes early, I first went upstairs to my home. Coming downstairs, ten minutes later, a friend asked if I was going to film the “balagan” (pandemonium) outside in the street. What balagan? I asked. “A march, with Arabs and Palestinian flags, right here on the street.”

I ran up to the street, grabbed my camera from the car, and saw, a few meters in front of me, a group of Arabs, foreign anarchists, and Israelis, as well as a large group of journalists, mostly Arab photographers, and a few soldiers and Hebron residents.

Some of the people were wearing masks with pictures of Obama on them. Most of the pushing and shoving centered around a banner sign they were carrying.

As I started filming, I quickly saw a true Hebron nemesis, also with a camera: Issa Amru, who can be described as something of a terrorist trouble-maker, a master provocateur .

Who is this guy?

The following is a letter sent today to senior IDF and police officers:

To: General Nitzan Alon Commander, Central Command

Col. Avi Bluth Hebron Brigade Commander,

Commander Itzik Rachamim Hebron Police Commander

Re: Issa Amro

This person is the center of anarchist-terrorist activity in Hebron. Said activity is not confined to incitement and organizing illegal demonstrations and violence, but also includes actual military operations, including Molotov cocktails and more.

For example, a video circulated on the ambush and use of firebombs against IDF soldiers. The tape is written in Arabic “Youth against the settlements,” an organization of Issa Amro and his partner Jonathan Pollack.

It should be added that Arabs entered the Admot Yishai (Tel Rumeida) neighborhood Friday night, March 8, 2013 (20 meters from a soldier’s position), uprooted a tree and dismantled and stole a bench. Undoubtedly, these operations were carried out under the command of Issa.

This activity can be carried out only after monitoring and intelligence gathering.

This person is behind a series of serious provocations.

On March 19, he organized another provocation at Tel Rumeida, carried out by his brother, trying to cut through a barbed wire fence.

Today, March 20, there was a serious provocation outside Beit Hadassah, coordinated by Amro and with the cooperation and participation of anarchist elements. Arabs marched through the streets with PLO flags and banners. David Wilder, a Hebron resident and member of the Community Municipal Committee, was attacked and his camera broken. Security forces, rather than help him, did nothing, appearing helpless.

This series of failures could lead to bloodshed.

We demand that you take all actions necessary to put an end to these provocations and incitement, and to stop this terrorist activity immediately. Use administrative detention until you are able to find a long-term solution to completely end this hostile and dangerous activity.

We warn that any delay in dealing conclusively could be very costly.

Regards,

Avraham Ben Yosef – Mayor, Hebron Municipal Council

Uri Karzen – Director General, Hebron Jewish Community

Issa seemed to be having a good time. He fingered me, gave me a V sign, and blew me some kisses. He eventually took my Canan 5D camera, tossed it into the air and watched it bounce in the street. I think the body is ok but the 24-105, $1500 lens died.

Eventually, after it was over, he was arrested. The last time he went to court, the judge banned him from participating in demonstrations in Hebron for six months. That was a few months ago. Having violated the court decision, he may now find himself warming a jail cell for a while. Probably not long enough, unless our security forces get their stuff together and find a way to rid us of this dangerous person.

Israeli police broke into Temple Mount after Muslim worshippers, at the completion of their prayers, began throwing stones at the security forces at the site’s Mughrabi Gate. No one was injured. Forces pushed the stone throwers back with stun grenades.

There have been ongoing disturbances in several areas of Judea and Samaria on Friday. At a Hebron checkpoint some 60 Arabs have been rioting, throwing stones at security forces. Several dozen Arabs have been rioting in other parts of Hebron as well.

Today marks the 1994 killing of 29 Arab worshipers and the wounding of another 125 inside the Cave of the Patriarch by Jewish-American doctor Baruch Goldstein.

In Bitunya, near Camp Ofer prison, some 30 Arabs are throwing stones at security forces. Four Arab terrorists are on a hunger strike inside the prison.

Ayman Sharawna, Jaafar Azzidine and Tareq Qaadan were transferred from Ramle prison to hospitals in Israel for medical tests, according to the Ma’an news agency.

Azzidine and Qaadan, who were taken to the Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, have been on hunger strike for 87 days in protest at their administrative detention, without charge or trial.

Sharawna went on hunger strike on July 1, 2012, but briefly stopped on Dec. 23 after believing there were developments in his case, prisoner rights group Addameer says. He restarted the strike in January.

The IDF and ISA have uncovered Hamas terror assets in Hebron. The joint activity, which took place in recent months, prevented attacks that the group had been planning.

The assets were part of a Hamas attempt to establish a local headquarters in Hebron and included approximately 20 terrorists affiliated with Hamas. The group was planning to kidnap an IDF soldier and use her or him as a bargaining chip for the release of Hamas prisoners. Most of the terrorists were already known to authorities.

The terrorists included:

Nabil Taleb Mahmad Mahmmud Ouauda, 32, resident of Dura, previously jailed for involvement in terror activity and assisting suspects. Ouauda was the head of the terror cell. Mahmud Mahmad Mahmud Abu-varda, 34, resident of Fawwar, was previously jailed for involvement in terror activity. He had been transferring weaponry to other operatives. Tareq Aziz Issa Graib, 35, resident of Tarqumia, was a contact for operatives abroad.

The investigation concluded that the terrorists were assisted by Hamas operatives abroad, who provided them with guidance and funding. Their primary contact person abroad was Husam Badran, one of the prisoners released in the exchange that secured the return of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.

In 2004, Badran was sentenced to 17 years of imprisonment for his involvement in the execution of terror attacks during the Second Intifada. Upon his release in October 2011, he was exiled to Qatar.

The investigation also revealed that the terrorists’ primary goal was to execute a kidnapping attack in order to bargain for the release of prisoners. They had planned to use an apartment as a hideout, and an Israeli citizen who would function as the driver during the kidnapping.

The terrorists were indicted on the following charges: possession of illegal weapons, contacting a hostile organization and conspiracy to kidnap an IDF soldier.

On Friday evening, an 18 year old Arab from the village of Idhna (near Hebron) was caught infiltrating into the town of Efrat in Gush Etzion.

When he was caught by the town’s security personnel, he was carrying a Hamas flag and 3 lighters on his person.

During the interrogation he said he planned to commit a terror attack. There is speculation he was sent to test out the town’s security response.

On Saturday, the IDF arrested two Arabs in Hebron who threw stones at a Jewish boy, in Hebron’s Jewish Quarter.

Marking the 200th anniversary of the yartzeit of the Alter Rebbe – Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi who founded the Chabad movement – the Jewish Press’ Yishai Fleisher interviewed one of the special emmissaries who have become the hallmark of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement to talk about the man who started it all, what his passions were, and where Chabad is headed.

Rabbi Danny Cohen is not just one of the hundreds of inspiring, dedicated, courteous and enthusiastic rabbis of Chabad who give themseles in service to the Jewish people across the globe. His is a mission under fire, serving not only his community, but the hundreds of visitors – and soldiers – who descend on his historic city each year, standing as a beacon of stability and spirituality in a place which puts up a daily fight for survival. Rabbi Cohen is the Chabad Rabbi of Hebron.

Listen here for the full interview from the Mittler Rebbe’s/Menucha Rachel’s shul, including how a boy from Brooklyn who became an IDF soldier came to be a Chabad rabbi and Hebron “settler”, as well as the history of Chabad in Hebron.

Fleisher and Rabbi Cohen spoke about the imprisonment of the Alter Rebbe, who was imprisoned for 53 days in Russian prison, to be freed on Yud Tet Kislev.

Rabbi Shneur Zalman was accused by the Russian government of treason for sending money to the Land of Israel, to support Jewish settlement there. At the time, Russia was at war with Turkey, which maintained control of the Holy Land, and Russia accused the Alter Rebbe of sending money to support the Turkish government, which he later proved to the authorities was untrue.

“What’s fascinating is that [supporting the Land of Israel] was the main accusation that brought him to jail in the first place, … and not only doesn’t he say ‘maybe modify that action, maybe tone it down’, being that he was the founder of Chabad and the one that planted and started the whole Chabad philosophy, maybe he would be thinking spiritually this is not what he should be doing, he should be doing something else,” Rabbi Cohen said. “But not only does he not stop and tells his chassidim to continue, but he writes in the Tanya that what saved him from jail and what took him out was the fact that he gave tzedaka to Eretz Yisrael.”

According to Rabbi Cohen, the Alter Rebbe had a great love for the Land of Israel, and considered moving there, but decided to forego the opportunity due to his obligations to his chassidim. “When the Maggid passes away, the Alter Rebbe is appointed as the leader of Chassidim in that area, and even though he had a strong urge and wanted very much to make aliyah, to move to the Land of Israel, being that he was responsible for [Lita], that’s why he stayed there,” Rabbi Cohen said.

Rabbi Cohen credits Rabbi Shneur Zalman, the Baal HaTanya with developing a philosophy by which Jews develop their own personal and unique connections to God. While the great rabbis are charged with teaching and guiding their followers and adherents, “I’m not going to do it for you, this is up to you,” Rabbi Cohen said.

Finishing with a “dvar Torah” – a word of Torah – Rabbi Cohen said: “Two hundred years is definitely a day to be marked, it’s a day of completion… It says that Yaakov Avinu didn’t pass away – the Gemara asks, what do you mean he didn’t pass away, there was a funeral, eulogies. Was that for nothing – no! It means that if his children are alive, he is alive. When 200 years later, you see that Chabad, despite all the obstacles and challenges of recent years and throughout the years… going through communist Russia and going through the fat of America, and the fact that today in a physical way Chabad does not have a Rebbe to go and visit and see, but yet, that it’s just increasing… thousands of people are … going out to the four corners of the earth, 200 years from the Alter Rebbe, and it’s all based on his teachings and his ideas, we know we’re on the right way for [redemption], with G-d’s help.”