Personalities from Nablus show solidarity with Hebron and perform the Friday prayer at Al Ibrahimi Mosque

A delegation representing official, civil society and popular personalities from Nablus visited Hebron and its Old City in a show of solidarity with the city’s inhabitants. The delegation’s members performed the Friday prayer at the Holy Ibrahimi Mosque and expressed their rejection of the Israeli decision to add Islamic heritage sites and holy places to the List of Israeli Heritage Sites. The delegation comprised eminent personalities such as Ghassan Al Shak’aa, member of the PLO’s Executive Committee, Muneeb Al Masri, prominent businessman, Jibril Al Bakri, Governor of Nablus, Adli Ya’eesh, Mayor of Nablus, in addition to more than 60 personalities from Nablus.

The delegation was received by Hebron Mayor Khaled Osaily, Hebron Governor Hussein Al A’raj as well as by a large crowd comprising official and popular personalities, representatives of political factions, unions and women associations.

The delegation first visited Al Ibrahimi Mosque to take a close look at measures imposed by occupation authorities against Palestinians. Delegation members then performed the Friday prayer at the Mosque following which a meeting was held between them and personalities from Hebron Governorate at Hebron Municipality’s Childhood Happiness Centre.

During this meeting, Mayor Osaily spoke about historical ties between Nablus and Hebron. “It is not surprising to see personalities from Nablus come to Hebron to defend Al Ibrahimi Mosque, to support Hebron’s population and to work with us to abolish the Israeli decision. We have explained to the delegation conditions in the city and how Israel has transformed Al Ibrahimi Mosque into barracks. We have also agreed to exchange visits in the future”, he said.

Following the visit, Al Shak’aa said that each Palestinian is filled with pain because of measures taken in Jerusalem and Hebron against Moslem holy places. “I value the steadfastness of our fellow citizens in Hebron who reject these measures and who face Israeli occupation with all this determination. This gives us hope that one day occupation will go away and that the independent Palestinian state will be created soon. Next Sunday, a meeting of the Central PLO Committee will take place and one of its priorities will be examining this Israeli decision and its consequences. In all honesty, we need as Palestinians to retrieve our national unity as it provides us with a strong foundation on which to build. Without this unity, we shall not succeed. All those responsible for the absence of unity need to do their utmost to ensure that we are united once again, otherwise, we will not be able to build our State or retrieve Al Aqsa or Al Ibrahimi Mosque”, he added.

Al Bakri said that this visit is part of a series of acts of solidarity with Hebron and Moslem holy places. “We are always in touch with our compatriots in Hebron. All Palestinian cities and communities need to organise visits to Hebron to prove to Israel that it will not succeed in dismembering our homeland despite its measures and checkpoints”, he added.

The delegation assured that cooperation will continue between all sectors and Governorates to face any Israeli aggression against the homeland and its holy places.