“Ibrahimi Mosque Massacre” by Jewish Extremist, 28 Years Ago
By: Farrah Ulya (Head of Aqsa Working Group Center)
At dawn on February 25, 1994, the massacre of Palestinians happened inside the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron by a Jewish extremist, Baruch Goldstein. Bombs and brutal gunfire shooted at worshipers at dawn made a story what was called, the ‘Ibrahimi Mosque Massacre’.
Baruch Goldstein is an Israeli military doctor, born in New York, United States, who since 1983 moved to Israel and lives in a suburban area called the Kiryat Settlement. He was a follower of Meir Kahane, a Jew and extremist rabbi known for his anti-Arab and ultra-nationalist thinking. He was also active in the Kach terrorist movement, which was founded by Kahane.
The massacre caused 50 martyrs with 29 people dead at the scene, and dozens of others injured. Witnesses said that the shooting took place in the center row behind the imam of the prayer, and many of them were elderly people and children.
Khamis Qafisha, one of the survivors said “While prostrating, I heard a loud explosion. I thought an earthquake had occurred but it was bombs and gunfire.”
Qafisha helped transport the injured into ambulances and private cars.
He also said that there were other illegal settlers on site, burning mosque carpets, pouring chemicals on them, bringing dogs into the mosque, attacking and beating worshippers.
After the incident, Israel closed the Ibrahimi Mosque for six months and formed an institution called Shamgar which was assigned to investigate the massacre.
Shamgar finally decided to divide the Ibrahimi Mosque into two parts, 60 percent for Jews and the rest for Muslims. They also put a tight guard at the location and forbade the call to prayer from being echoed in the mosque.
Goldstein died shortly after his heinous act made this incident unable to be traced further through the mechanism of the trial. It is not known what the main motive and the other party’s connection to Goldstein’s actions are.
Finally, four months after the incident, the Israeli investigative team gave a statement, “Based on the available evidence, Baruch Goldstein acted alone in the shooting and is the sole person to blame for the murder.”
The statement cannot prove the involvement of other parties behind Baruch’s heinous act. Even though the survivors said there were other parties who participated in the attack besides Baruch.
The testimony was corroborated by a report a month after the incident, on March 16, 1994. Journalist Chris Hedges of The New York Times published a report entitled “That Day in Hebron — A special report; Soldier Fired at Crowd, Survivors of Massacre Say.”
Reportedly, besides Goldstein there were three other people involved in the barbaric act.
The Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron has been named one of the world heritages by UNESCO. In this mosque reside the tombs of Prophet Ibrahim, Prophet Ishaq, and Prophet Ya’qub ‘Peace be upon him.
For Muslims, this mosque is the fourth most sacred building after the Grand Mosque, Masijd Nabawi, and Al-Aqsa Mosque. Because in the mosque there is Al Haram Al Ibrahim, the place of prostration of Prophet Ibrahim.
Today, the fate of the Ibrahimi Mosque is very sad. Zionist Israel often holds their religious celebrations at the mosque.
Even since October 2021, the Zionists have closed the Ibrahimi Mosque to Muslims. The fate of the Ibrahimi Mosque is not only the responsibility of the Muslims in Palestine, but the responsibility of Muslims around the world. (T/RE1/P2)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
