East Village photographer Q. Sakamaki recently returned from the West Bank and Gaza where for three weeks he documented Israeli settlements in light of Israel’s plans to pull the settlers out of Gaza this summer. Tensions were high in the settlements over the pullout, and the government of Ariel Sharon — who is backing the plan — recently cleared a key hurdle when the budget passed. Sakamaki’s trip also coincided with Purim, a festive holiday commemorating the salvation of the Jews in Persia. Sakamaki spent time in Hebron, a West Bank settlement of 500 that has been a flashpoint of violence. The Tomb of Abraham, holy to both Jews and Muslims, is in Hebron.
A Palestinian woman walks through Hebron past a Star of David painted on a Palestinian-owned building.
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