No Eviction - for now

According to the Jerusalem Post the IDF has decided this would not be an opportune time (owing to the many who are expected to arrive to spend Shabbat in Hebron) to evict the families from Beit HaShalom in Hebron. Although the JPost article does all suggest the eviction will come and alludes to the ‘when’ will be up for discussion on Thursday.

Fearing extreme violence, the IDF does not plan to evacuate the disputed four-story building in Hebron this week, senior defense officials said on Wednesday. Initially it was expected that the IDF would move immediately to forcibly remove the nine families who live there once the court-ordered deadline for their voluntary exit expired Wednesday morning.

According to defense officials, the decision to postpone the evacuation was made due to festivities planned for the weekend in the Jewish section of the city and concern that right-wing activists would barricade themselves in the building, known as Beit Hashalom. It is located on Worshipers' Way, the road that leads between the Kiryat Arba settlement and the Cave of the Patriarchs.

And just what exactly is the Torah reading this week which would inspire Jews to come to Hebron? Nothing less that the Parshah Chayei-Sarah which tells the story of Sarah’s death and Abraham’s insistence on buying the Machpeilah Cave to bury Sarah in for 400 shekels of silver from Ephton the Hittite.

There is an irony here which I suspect even the IDF command and the secular political left echelon recognizes and has decided this is not most politically expedient time to be remembered and associated for evicting Jews from their home in Hebron.

Of course, no one asked me, but I would still like to put out an alternative suggestion for the most appropriate night to come as thieves in the night and carry out this nefarious eviction – providing of course if the Barak and Livni camp cannot be deterred from the utter folly of this course. My vote goes for the after the first candle has been lit on the 25th day of Kislev.