After making a land acquisition between Hebron and Gush Etzion, it is announced that a luxury hotel is planned for the site. According to a Yediot Yerushalayim report, there are already 30 persons living on the site to protect it. Some of the residents are watchmen as well.

The Israel Land Fund has purchased the land at what is described as “an attractive price” in the hope of opening a luxury hotel. Behind the land acquisition is noted philanthropist Dr. Irving Moskowitz of the USA.

The land is over 30 dunam (7.5 acres), near Route 60, the main north-south road, in proximity to al-Aroub in eastern Gush Etzion. Renovations have been ongoing in recent months to accommodate the persons living on the land now to make certain it is not overrun by Arab squatters. All of the current residents are single males, IDF veterans, as the developers do not wish to endanger women and children.

CEO of the fund, Jerusalem Councilman Aryeh King feels building a hotel on the site is a priority project due to the attractiveness of the area and its proximity to Gush Etzion and Hebron.

Moskowitz has been a long time supporters of redeeming portions of Eretz Yisrael. This is not his first hotel in Israel either, as he purchased Shepherd Hotel decades ago. In that case Moskowitz waged a tenacious battle for his rights in the Israel Supreme Court. In this case of that hotel the decision was made to build 122 apartments in the Shimron HaTzaddik neighborhood of the capital where the hotel is located to actualize a Jewish settlement presence in the heart of the predominately Arab area of the capital.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)