Fatah's militia has threatened to kill Jaabari in the aftermath of the
meeting. Fatah's Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades distributed leaflet calling on
Palestinians to target the clan leader.
Later, Jaabari was interrogated by Palestinian Authority officers. In an
earlier interview on Israel state radio, Jaabari accused the PA of
corruption.
The meeting between Israelis and Palestinians took place amid heightened
tension in the Hebron area. Two Israeli hikers, off-duty soldiers, were
killed in late 2007 near Hebron.
"The fabric of life throughout the entire country has been destroyed by
the false peace produced by the [1993] Oslo Accords, which only resulted in
more hatred, the spilling of blood and destruction," former Knesset member
Elyakim Haetzni said.
In late 2007, the Jaabari and Abu Sneineh clans relayed interest in a
reconciliation with the 500-member Jewish community of Hebron. In October
2007, Jaabari refused to sign an agreement to enable Israeli left-wing
activists to destroy a makeshift synagogue outside the Jewish community of
Kiryat Arba. Jaabari said the synagogue had been built on clan property.
Palestinian clans have met Jewish residents in other areas of the West
Bank in an attempt to resolve tensions. Some of the meetings were reported
in the Bethlehem area.
After the Hebron meeting, a Jewish spokesman said the Palestinians
agreed to join the Israelis to oppose "extremist elements that seek to sow
hatred and destruction in the city." The two sides also agreed to establish
a committee to resolve tensions.