President Reuven Rivlin, Mayor Malachi Levinger and several thousand Israelis and tourists gathered in Kiryat Arba on Thursday to mark the 50th anniversary of Israel’s return to the Hebron region during the Six-Day War.

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The celebration, while smaller than last week’s Jerusalem Day celebrations, lacked none of the holiday atmosphere that hovered over the capital during the lead-up to the anniversary. In addition to Rivlin’s address, the event included a fireworks display, performances by singers Shlomi Shabat and Yishai Ribo and a video presentation documenting the founding and history of the community.

The Cave of the Patriarchs in 1967 (L) and today (Photo: AFP)

Rivlin spoke about his experiences in Hebron prior to the 1948 War of Independence, when Jews were forbidden from entering the Cave of the Patriarchs, and also noted that Israelis successfully settled in Kiryat Arba thanks in large part to support from Labor Party leaders Yigal Alon, media support from the Haaretz newspaper and even former Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, who said that Israel would “be making a grave and serious error if we do not settle Hebron … with a big and growing Jewish community as soon as possible. … This will bring benefit too for the Arab neighbors.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, after 50 years the state must make every effort to improve the quality of life for residents of the whole area here. I do not know if there will ever be a political agreement, and if there will be, what will be its nature. But it is clear that in any agreement Jews and Arabs will continue to live here, and we all must take an interest to care for the prosperity and flourishing of Hebron and Kiryat Arba,” Rivlin added.

Organizers said the event was a follow-up to last Thursday’s celebration in downtown Hebron marking the revival of the Jewish community in the city. That occasion included walking tours through the city’s Jewish neighborhoods, the Arab market, a short ceremony honoring the first Jewish settlers who moved to Hebron following the war, a fireworks display over the Cave of the Patriarchs and performances by singers Rami Kleinstein and Amir Benayoun.

Noam Arnon, spokesman for the Jewish community of Hebron, said he was not surprised by the large number of visitors who visited the city for the anniversary. He noted that the Cave of the Patriarchs and the city’s archeological sites are popular tourist attractions and added that many of the approximately 30,000 people who participate in the annual reading of the Torah portion that describes the biblical Abraham’s purchase of the Cave, spend the weekend with families in Kiryat Arba.

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