Jewish Families Move Back to Hebron Bldg.

JERUSALEM, Israel -- Three Jewish families will be spending the Passover holiday in Beit Hashalom (house of peace), a four-story building just outside Kiryat Arba on the main road to the Machpela (Cave of the Patriarchs) in Hebron.

The strategic location links the town of Kiryat Arba and the Jewish neighborhood in Hebron's Old City. The apartment building can house 20 families.

Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon authorized the move following the High Court's decision in March, ruling the sale was, in fact, legal and not fraudulent as some Arabs had claimed.

More than a decade ago, an American Jew named Morris Abraham purchased the building from its Arab owners. In March 2007, Jewish families moved in only to be forcibly evicted in December 2008 under orders by former Defense Minister Ehud Barak.

"Thank God after five years of legal battles, justice came to light," Religious Affairs Deputy Minister Eli Ben-Dahlan said, praising the timing during the Passover celebration of freedom, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Not unexpectedly, members of the P.A.'s Fatah faction railed against Ya'alon's decision, claiming it will "bury the two-state solution."

"While some people are talking about the continuation of talks, this clearly shows Israel's lack of commitment toward a two-state solution," The Post quoted Fatah member Mohammed Shtayyeh.