Hebron Sheikhs Seek Emirate, Recognition of Israel in Break with PA

37 posts • OpenAI (o3)

Updated Jul 6, 2025, 01:43 PM

A group of five influential clan leaders from Hebron, led by Sheikh Wadee al-Jaabari and reportedly backed by 16 additional sheikhs, has asked Israel to recognise an independent “Emirate of Hebron” in exchange for the emirate’s formal recognition of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people. The offer—contained in a 24 March letter revealed by the Wall Street Journal on 6 July—also seeks to detach Hebron from the Palestinian Authority and join the UAE-brokered Abraham Accords.

The signatories say the Oslo framework “brought only death and economic disaster” and propose a new timetable for talks with Israel. As an economic first step they request permits for 1,000 Hebron labourers to work in Israel, expanding to 5,000, with Economy Minister Nir Barkat having floated a ceiling of 50,000. The sheikhs pledge zero tolerance for violence and offer to assume policing powers inside the city.

Barkat, who has met the group more than ten times since February, told the paper that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is cautiously supportive, while Israel’s security agencies have yet to take an official position. The plan would mark the first time a Palestinian faction sought direct entry into the Abraham Accords, potentially reshaping West Bank governance.

Reaction inside Hebron has been mixed. Within hours of the report the al-Jaabari clan issued a statement distancing itself from any move to normalise relations with Israel, and local activist Issa Amro dismissed the letter as a fabrication by figures lacking political or religious authority. The Palestinian Authority has not commented publicly, but analysts say Ramallah is likely to resist any secessionist bid.

With assertions and denials now circulating in parallel, the initiative’s legitimacy—and whether it can gain Israeli, Palestinian or wider Arab backing—remains uncertain. Nonetheless, the proposal underscores mounting disaffection with the Palestinian Authority and the growing appeal of alternative, locally driven arrangements in the wake of the Abraham Accords.

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#Hebron #Israel #Emirate of Hebron #Jewish #Wall Street Journal #Palestinian Authority #UAE #Abraham Accords #Oslo #Nir Barkat #Barkat #Benjamin Netanyahu #Palestinian #West Bank #Issa Amro #Ramallah #Israeli #Arab

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Sources

wsj.com(7)jpost.com(2)corriere.it bulletin.nu

The Wall Street Journal

@WSJ

From @WSJopinion: Sheikh Jaabari and four other leading Hebron sheikhs have signed a letter pledging peace and full recognition of Israel as a Jewish state, writes @ElliotKaufman6

Christian Nyumbayire (⦰, 🇦🇶, 🏴‍☠️, 🏴, ♇)

@Chritchen

“Regarding the "Emirate of Hebron" The American newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, published allegations of an initiative by the Jabari family to secede from the Palestinian Authority and establish an emirate in Hebron, pursue full normalization with the occupation,”

شبكة قدس الإخبارية

@qudsn

During her conference... The “Jabari” clan declares its innocence from normalization with the occupation and condemns calls for the “establishment of a tribal emirate” in Hebron.