Israelis Dismantle 30 Years of Occupation in Hebron

HEBRON, West Bank — The Israeli army on Thursday dismantled the concrete barriers, observation towers and other tools of 30 years of occupation here as Israel’s parliament overwhelmingly approved an agreement to redeploy its forces in this volatile city.

In the hours before the vote, which cleared the way for Israel to carry out the long-delayed pullback of its troops from 80% of historic Hebron, a joyous crowd of Palestinians gathered outside Israel’s main military headquarters, shooting off fireworks and dancing in the streets in anticipation of the imminent transfer of the building to Palestinian control.

The partial Israeli withdrawal, and the entry of armed, uniformed Palestinian police into the city, was expected to begin within hours of the parliament’s 87-17 vote--with one abstention--in favor of the Hebron accord.

Outside the military compound, the primary symbol in Hebron of Israel’s occupation, a crowd of several hundred lingered into the early hours of today, hoping to witness the long-awaited hand-over.

The atmosphere was festive, as young boys hawked steaming cups of tea to those waiting in a cold rain; many carried Palestinian flags and displayed photos of Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat.

The Israeli army said most of its soldiers would not withdraw from the area until daylight. But waiting Palestinians contented themselves with cheering the departure of long lines of military vehicles and the dismantling of the equipment and fixtures of the occupation.

An Israeli official said the army wanted to ensure the major part of the move occurred during daylight. “We don’t need to sneak out like thieves in the night,” he said.

Israeli television showed several army officers carefully removing a mezuza, the parchment scroll that by tradition is attached to the doorway of a Jewish home or building.

Across the street, Adli Danah, 30, watched a line of Israeli jeeps make their way out of the compound and down the hill in advance of the redeployment. “I have spent my entire life under occupation,” he said, standing beside his wife and small son, Shehab. “I want my son to live in freedom.”

Israeli and Palestinian officials said the two sides were working closely to try to prevent violence in the city, where about 450 Jewish settlers live among 100,000 Arabs.

Palestinian security officials, in plainclothes and carrying no weapons, kept the crowd under control, stepping in at one point to form a human chain and push back one group that was getting too close to the building. A minor scuffle broke out between a teenager and a Palestinian official, but there were no other reports of violence.

Not all--among either the Palestinians or Israelis--were satisfied with the accord.

“This is basically the same as the previous Hebron agreement, with a few small pluses and minuses,” said Khalil Shikaki, a political scientist and director of the Center for Palestine Research and Studies in Nablus. “It’s a step that creates some optimism, but I’m afraid it is not an optimism that will last. We’re still unable to say whether this Israeli government is really committed to peace.”

In Hebron’s Jewish enclaves, meanwhile, where residents have bitterly fought an accord they believe puts them in danger, the mood was subdued Thursday. Spokesman Noam Arnon told Israel Radio that the settlers were “in pain” over the decision and fearful about the future.

But, he said, “we are not planning acts designed to stop the redeployment. We do not think it is our duty, and we do not want to either.” Instead, Arnon said, members of the community would express their feelings by praying and tearing their clothes, a traditional sign of mourning, during a ceremony next week.

A few minutes down the road, in the small town of Dahariyah, about 400 Palestinian police officers who are designated by the agreement to deploy in Hebron waited for word to enter the town.

In the Knesset, or Israeli parliament, the all-day debate was raucous at times, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came under harsh criticism from members of his own Likud Party.

But the outcome was never in doubt. The opposition Labor Party, which led the way to peace with the Palestinians with landmark accords in 1993 and 1995, had already announced that it would support the Hebron deal.

Still, throughout Thursday’s debate, which ended with an 11 p.m. vote, hard-liners within the government coalition accused Netanyahu of betraying his political supporters by committing himself to a peace process he had once reviled and by agreeing to surrender pieces of the biblical land of Israel.

“So what is the difference between ourselves and the Labor Party then?” asked Uzi Landau, a Likud legislator.

Foreign Minister David Levy, a frequent political rival of Netanyahu, defended him Thursday from the criticisms. “What is the alternative?” Levy shouted at one point. “The only alternative you can give is stalemate.”

Netanyahu described the long-awaited agreement as “better, safer and more responsible” than the 1995 accord signed by the previous Labor government. “Until today, Hebron was a metaphor for detachment, conflict and hostility between Palestinians and Israelis, and now we have the opportunity to prove that Hebron can be the opposite, an example of cooperation and of life together,” Netanyahu said.

Israel, he added, was “embarking on a crucial road” aimed at reaching a secure peace with the Palestinians.

Security for the session was tight. While a number of lawmakers did not attend for personal reasons, some Cabinet members who also serve in the 120-member Knesset absented themselves in protest rather than abstaining or voting against Netanyahu.

Along with the Hebron agreement, which amounts to a detailed implementation plan for the 1995 accord, the two sides agreed Wednesday to a U.S. “note for the record,” which summarizes each side’s commitment to fulfilling further obligations under the accords.

Netanyahu also said he hoped his term would produce other peace accords, including final agreements with the Palestinians and agreements with other Arab countries.

The United States also clearly hopes to use the momentum from the Hebron deal to push forward with the broader Middle East peace process. “We believe it’s time for the Arab world to suspend its disbelief and for the Arab partners in the peace process to reengage with it,” Martin Indyk, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, said Thursday.

Encouraging Syria to return to talks with Israel was “very much on our agenda,” Indyk said.

Times staff writer Trounson reported from Jerusalem and El-Hasan of The Times’ Jerusalem Bureau reported from Hebron.

* ANGER ON RIGHT: Israeli conservatives, embittered by Hebron deal, look for new champion and strategy. A8