Ed got into this a little bit this morning in his terrific piece on how, with the attacks of October 7th, Hamas has actually engineered the destruction of the idea of a 'Palestinian' state while taking Iran and its associated neighboring proxies, not to mention the Syrian dictatorship, down with them.
...This much is certain, however: Hamas will have delivered a much-changed region in the Middle East as a result of their October 7 massacres. They have destroyed Iranian hegemony, the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, possibly Hezbollah and its grip on Lebanon, and may take down the ridiculously corrupt and malicious Palestinian Authority along with it. And not least, themselves.
What a boomerang!
What has been intriguing to me for the past few days is a phrase that kept popping up - The Sheiks of Hebron - and I had a good case of 'Who, what?' going. While Hebron rang a bell, I didn't recall having ever heard of them before.
Lemme introduce you to these guys, and you'll come to understand why this development and their emergence from the demolition dust of this war could be a very big deal.
I'll say 'could,' because, as with everything in that snek pit, appearances are deceiving and who or what one side claims to be is instantly refuted by the twelve other sides it's going to impact adversely.
This is holding true already in this case.
Hebron is the third-largest city in the Palestinian territories after Gaza and East Jerusalem. It's considered one of the Four Holy Cities in the eyes of all three major area religions - Christianity, Judaism, and Islam - and is one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in the entire Levant.
It's as if the whole Old and New Testament Bible cast passed through at one time or another, it's that old.
...It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the Levant. According to the Bible, Abraham settled in Hebron and bought the Cave of the Patriarchs as burial place for his wife Sarah. Biblical tradition holds that the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, along with their wives Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah, were buried in the cave. The city is also recognized in the Bible as the place where David was anointed king of Israel. Following the Babylonian captivity, the Edomites settled in Hebron. During the first century BCE, Herod the Great built the wall that still surrounds the Cave of the Patriarchs, which later became a church, and then a mosque. With the exception of a brief Crusader control, successive Muslim dynasties ruled Hebron from the 7th century CE until the Ottoman Empire's dissolution following World War I, when the city became part of British Mandatory Palestine.
Hebron's also been the site of ongoing Israeli settler-Palestinian clashes, a situation which wasn't helped after being the only city left out of the 1995 Oslo Accords. In 1997, the city was split 80/20, with the Palestinian Authority (PA) getting the lion's share and Israel the 20% to govern, and never the twain shall meet.
I don't have enough space to go into all that, but the Wiki link above does extensively, with a distinctly 'River to the Sea' tilt (What a surprise, right?). Although it is honest enough to note that Hebron is one of three West Bank towns from which a majority of suicide bombers originate.
Who knows - it's probably a twisted brag.
Anyway, here we are now. Hamas effectively neutered the corrupt PA decades ago, and Hebron's several hundred thousand Palestinian residents, along with another five hundred thousand or so in the area, slog on. The city has managed to maintain its manufacturing base, everything from mattresses to shoes (although Chinese imports have taken a bite there) to jewelry and glass. Surprisingly, despite any social tensions, Hebron maintains a strong trade relationship with Israel. According to the article, 33% of the Palestinian Territories' GNP is a result of Hebron's industries and agriculture.
These groups are nothing if not tribal to this day. And the leaders of the various clans aren't called chieftains, but sheiks. Hebron has its fair share, and that's who these fellows were who stepped up to write a letter to former Jerusalem mayor and now Israeli Economy Minister, Nir Barkat, with whom they already have a relationship.
What they proposed was nothing less than earth-shaking as far as an entrenched and corrupt PA and barbarous Hamas leadership reign - they propose to cast both aside, form and govern their own clan emirates, work with Israel, and, most alarming of all to the terrorist factions, join the Abraham Accords.
This would also be a devastating blow to the two-state advocates.
Earlier this week, Elliot Kaufman of The Wall Street Journal published an article citing leading clans in Hebron declaring their desire to “break out of the Palestinian Authority, establish an Emirate of its own and join the Abraham Accords.”
The group is led by Sheikh Wadee’ al-Jaabari, the leader of Hebron’s most influential clan.
Kaufman writes that:
The first circle [of support] has eight major sheikhs, who together are believed to lead 204,000 local residents. The second circle lists 13 more sheikhs, who lead another 350,000. That makes a majority of the more than 700,000 people in the area. Both circles have sworn allegiance to Sheikh Jaabari in this matter.
The Sheikhs want to recognize Israel and live in peace beside Israel.
“Oslo brought collapse—clan rule brings hope.”
— Jewish News Syndicate (@JNS_org) July 7, 2025
Hebron’s top Palestinian sheikhs are calling for autonomy under Israel, recognition of the Jewish state, and direct ties via the Abraham Accords. A real alternative to the Palestinian Authority / 2-State Solution dogma emerges from… pic.twitter.com/H3aUnsuagA
...A real alternative to the Palestinian Authority / 2-State Solution dogma emerges from within Arab society.
Worse, this is coming from Arabs living within the Palestinian territories. It is a brutal blow to both the credibility and prestige of an already compromised and weak PA.
The threatened are doing what they do best in the region.
Sheikh Wadee’ al-Jaabari is receiving violent threats after calling to join the Abraham Accords and break from the Palestinian Authority. His family has disavowed him, and allies say the PA is panicking. pic.twitter.com/PaHaLmbJ6p
— Israel Institute of NZ (@IsraelInstNZ) July 8, 2025
Elements of Sheik al-Jaabari's family made their own 'He's not the boss of us!' video denouncing his plan.
The Wiki article on Hebron has already been amended with the latest news of al-Jaabari's offer, and this is the last sentence of the paragraph about it.
...Members of al-Jaabari's clan and other Hebronites denounced the proposal, stating that Wadee' al-Jaabari is not a traditional leader of the clan and "is known for his ties to settlers and Israeli institutions, which primarily serve his personal and business interests".
It doesn't mention they're trying to kill him for his efforts, though - they left that part out.
But folks who watch these things for a living noticed some language nuances in the Palestinian Authority response - there wasn't one.
They're hoping it all goes away.
AND DUCK
...Significantly, even though this is a declaration of war against the Palestinian Authority, the PA chose not to respond in its official media, as if nothing significant had happened.
The official PA daily did not even mention the story in Monday’s newspaper and WAFA, the official news agency, by 4:00 pm still had not mentioned it on its news site. Official PA TV, likewise, by midday had not mentioned it.
It’s possible that the PA does not want to lend credence to Palestinians organizing against its autocratic rule and is hoping that by ignoring it, the problem will dissipate. However, reading the article and seeing the depths of the hatred expressed toward the Palestinian Authority, it is likely the sheikhs wouldn’t have taken such a public step if they didn’t feel they had broad support of the people.
However, that's unlikely and unlucky for them, as much of the Arab world is rapturous over the thought of finally ridding itself of the pesky Palestinians, PA, and Hamas, and having Arabs do it themselves.
A major diplomatic breakthrough is imminent: the Abraham Accords are set to expand in ways few imagined possible just a few years ago. This new phase isn’t simply a continuation, it marks a fundamental redrawing of regional priorities and alliances.
— أحمد شريف العامري (@ahhmedshh) July 8, 2025
This profound shift in the…
...This profound shift in the Middle East is one rooted in realism rather than old slogans.
The region’s emerging alliances reflect a quiet recognition: technological strength, economic interdependence, and security cooperation are more powerful than decades of ideological posturing.
Israel, long miscast as an outsider, is increasingly viewed as a strategic partner capable of transforming regional futures. Its contributions in defense, water security, agriculture, and innovation make it a necessary pillar in any serious long-term plan for prosperity.
Meanwhile, Hamas embodies a dead-end philosophy: it offers no governance vision beyond chaos, no economic blueprint beyond blockade, and no future beyond perpetual conflict. Its violence against civilians, especially children, is not resistance; it is the antithesis of civilization.
The Arab world’s calculus is shifting from symbolic confrontation to concrete progress. Quietly but firmly, regional leaders and donors understand that investing in militias is investing in instability.
The coming diplomatic expansions will not be about forced friendships or naïve idealism; they will be about aligning with those who can build, innovate, and secure a shared future. In that future, there is no place for hostage-takers or ideological saboteurs, only for partners who value life, growth, and stability.
As far as romance goes, The Sheikhs of Hebron has that sort of Lawrence of Arabia ring to it, doesn't it?
Maybe they will actually turn out to be what passes for good guys in a bad place after all.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member