Jamil Abu Heykal?s life was full of defiance and struggle against the Jewish settlers who tirelessly attempted to uproot him from his house in the old city. Now, with his passing, the settlers have an occasion to celebrate and rejoice.

In the old city of Hebron, daily struggle and conflict has continued between the Palestinian citizens and the Jewish settlers and the soldiers. This daily conflict is not confined to Hebron, but has become a part of Palestinian life throughout all of the Occuppied Palestinian Territories (OPT). Over the years it has become a stubborn fight against aggression, Occupation, the apartheid Wall, arrests, and harassment at several check points, as people wait for hours in queues; workers, looking for their daily bread. All of these are familiar to many {{ordinary}} Palestinians throughout different towns and villages.

However, the situation is more serious in the old city of Hebron, In Hebron, Al Khalil (friendship) in Arabic, five hundred settlers are gathered in four settlement areas.  These areas are situated in such a way as to obtain and tighten control over the whole city where forty thousand Palestinians are living. This demographic location of settlements is not accidental. It is in fact a strategic plan for the future of Hebron; a plan to cleanse Al Khalil of its Palestinian citizens. The ?benefit? would be a large scale settlement project that will make life hell for the Palestinians who consider staying in the area that they call home.

In recent years, hundreds of Palestinian shops have been forced to close due to the daily provocation and intimidation of settlers and soldiers, who close the roads with cement blocks and prevent cars from entering the city. Many houses have been Occupied by the Israeli military, and converted into watch towers and military checkpoints. Schools have been forced to close, streets have been sealed by iron gates, and curfews have been imposed in the Old City.  All actions are done in an attempt to make life unbearable for the Palestinian residents.

This Israeli policy is considered by many international observers as one of silent evacuation.  It is nothing more than an order which calls for the seizure of land from its owners, making life increasingly impossible from social, economic and poltical angles, as well as creating a lack of security for the Palestinian citizens.  

Anyone who knew the old city of Hebron in the past, would be shocked and grieved if they saw it today. The Old City used to be a thriving place for trade and business, with thousands of people filling the streets selling and buying. But now it is a deserted area with very few people and many Israeli settlers and soldiers.

This is the context in which the story of our old Sheikh, Jamil Abu Heykal, is set.. Abu Heykal lived in the Tel Romeida area, home to a settlement site called ?Ramat Yeshay.? Ramat Yeshay was founded in 1985 in order to control the old city of Hebron. Abu Heykal?s house came within the borders of the settlement, making him and his neighbors easy targets for the settlers. Abu Heykal was stoned hundreds of times by settlers who tried desperately to move him from his house. Being an old man did not spare him from the continued attacks and harassment of settlers.

After ten years of being active in human rights movements, I was interested in his case especially after his family was prevented by settlers from using the roof of their house. Abu Heykal was beaten several times by settlers who attempted to frighten him and his family members. They were attempting to force the family to leave, but the old man had his own style of resistance, which was different from any other one.

Abu Heykal?s non-violent resistance stunned the enemy and puzzled the world. He was a pacifist who did not believe in violence. He never threw stones or carried a gun. He was well known for his strong nationalist feelings. He knew from the very beginning that the goal and aim of the settlers was to occupy the land and control the city of Hebron.
Abu Heykal choose passive resistance and preferred to hold onto his house and land; to hold tight to his roots and to where he had lived all his life. From the very beginning Abu Heykal knew his rights; especially the right of peaceful resistance and that is what he did.

When Abu Heykal was seriously ill, his family took him to the hospital. His health was deteriorating and the doctors told him he had only a few days to live. Abu Heykal insisted on returning to his home so that he may pay his last tribute before he left this world forever. The ambulance which was carrying Abu Heykal was detained at the check point in front of the settlement for more than two hours. When the settlers heard the story and knew that Abu Heykal was dying they rushed to the streets chanting slogans, rejoicing over his death and distributing sweets to the soldiers at the check point.

Even though the heart of Abu Heykal stopped beating, it was still resisting and defying the settlers around his house. The settlers celebrated this (?Great Event?) with parties and lights in the streets. The man passed away but his legacy is still alive.

In the Arab culture there is a proverb, ?There are two things a person must not rejoice in, the sickness and death of his enemy.? All of us will die one day, but to rejoice in the death of your neighbor is something unfamiliar and resentful in Palestinian society. It was a strange scene, a group of people mourning their dead and neighbors celebrating the same occasion. This is one small example of what is happening in the old city of Hebron, with by the passing away of Abu Heykal, has lost a wonderful model of non-violent resistance.

The house of Abu Heykal still stands and will remain there, although the irrational conduct of settlers will continue. It is in fact a struggle between steadfastness, and the policy of hatred and uprooting.