We say: The Jewish connection to Hebron and the Cave of the Patriarchs is profound and undeniable, as is the Jewish connection to numerous biblical sites in the West Bank. In many ways Hebron is the cradle of our religion and our history. It is also true that Jews lived in Hebron from antiquity until recent history. However, even if one accepts the premise that because of this connection Israelis have the right to live in Hebron (indeed, anywhere in the historic land of Israel), it does not necessarily follow that this "right" should be exercised.

If there is ever going to be peace with the Palestinians, it will require the establishment of a viable, contiguous Palestinian state. Keeping the settlements in Hebron at the cost of a negotiated two-state solution - one which guarantees the continued existence and viability of the Jewish state of Israel - would be a Pyrrhic victory for Israel.

They say: Jews were in Hebron for 3000 years. Jews left the city only after they were forced out by Arab terror, in the form of the 1929 massacre, which left 69 Jews dead and many more wounded. After the massacre the Arabs stole the properties left behind when the Jews fled for their lives. The Jewish return to Hebron after 1967 is nothing more than justice - the re-claiming of Jewish property and the re-establishment of the Jewish community, despite continued Arab terror and hatred.

We say: One would do well to be careful demanding a Jewish "right of return" to Hebron and other parts of the West Bank, given Palestinians who fled from Israel also claim a "right of return" to the lands they left.

But even for those who support a Jewish presence in Hebron, the question then becomes: what kind of presence? Among the reasons the Hebron settlers are so reviled is that their behavior has often been violent and arrogant in the extreme, destroying property, hounding and harassing Palestinian residents, abusing IDF soldiers sent to protect them, and loudly demonstrating their presence in every way imaginable. And as we remember the horrific violence used against the Jewish community of Hebron in 1929, we should not forget that Hebron was also the site of one of the worst acts of Jewish terrorism, when in 1994 Baruch Goldstein murdered 29 Muslim worshippers while they were at prayer in the mosque at the Tomb of the Patriarchs.

Protecting the security and way of life of 600 Jewish settlers who have chosen to make their homes in the heart of a city of 160,000 Palestinians would be a heavy burden on the IDF even if the city were not a focal point of violence and hatred. In the current context, achieving this mission has come at the cost of the most basic rights of the Palestinians of the city: Palestinian residents of Hebron have been placed under curfew for months at a time, they are prohibited from accessing parts of the city (even on foot), their businesses have been shut down, and key traffic arteries have been closed to them entirely. Indeed, in the wake of the Goldstein massacre, the Palestinian population of the city center has nearly disappeared; apart from the settlers, who enjoy unfettered movement throughout the city, the downtown and old city of Hebron are a ghost town of empty streets and shuttered shops, daubed with the settlers' anti-Palestinian graffiti.

In contrast, when Abraham came to Hebron, he showed a great deal of respect to the people of Hebron, bowing his head to the people and offering a fair sum to purchase the Cave of the Patriarchs. It is a pity that contemporary Jews living in Hebron have not followed his example and sought to live in peace with their neighbors. A city with 160,000 residents cannot be held by force indefinitely. Even former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recognized this fact when he ceded control over most of Hebron to the Palestinian Authority.