Inside ‘Israel’s’ Secret Plan: Will a ‘Hebron Emirate’ Split from Palestine to Join the Abraham Accords?

Amid “Israel’s” ongoing plans to seize and Judaise Palestinian land in the West Bank and Jerusalem — through settlement expansion, forced displacement, and creeping annexation — a troubling internal plot has begun to emerge, raising alarm among Palestinian circles.

According to reports in the Wall Street Journal and Jerusalem Post, a group of separatists claiming affiliation with certain clans in the West Bank, allegedly with ties to the Israeli occupation, have floated a proposal to break away from the Palestinian Authority and establish an “independent emirate” in the city of Hebron — with the ultimate aim of joining the Abraham Accords.

The publications feature interviews with a controversial figure from Hebron, who claimed his group is seeking peaceful coexistence with “Israel,” full recognition of its statehood, and integration into the regional normalization framework spearheaded by the accords.

The timing of the so-called “Hebron Emirate” declaring its intent to recognize “Israel” and join the Abraham Accords has raised deep suspicion — coinciding, as it does, with far-right Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich’s push to intensify the Judaization of the West Bank, displace its Palestinian inhabitants, and pressure the U.S. to formally recognize “Israel’s” annexation of the territory.

Palestinian analysts have warned that recent coverage in Western and Israeli media outlets — portraying this separatist faction in favorable terms — appears to be part of a broader Israeli scheme. 

The goal, they argue, is to manufacture consent for internal fragmentation, using leaks and media spin to legitimize dubious figures in the West Bank, in much the same way “Israel” has allegedly elevated the profile of the controversial defector Yasser Abu Shabab in Gaza.

What’s Behind the Story?

Following the mobilization of Gaza’s clans against occupation-backed criminal gangs in the Strip, tribal leaders are once again stepping into the fray — this time to push back against traitorous factions and normalization schemes emerging in the West Bank.

The latest controversy erupted after “Sheikh Wadee’ al-Jaabari” and four other clan leaders from Hebron declared they had signed a “letter” pledging peace and full recognition of “Israel” as a Jewish state. 

The group further announced their intention to break away from the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority and join the Abraham Accords.

In return, they reportedly seek formal recognition from “Israel” and the so-called “Hebron Emirate” — a self-styled entity they claim would represent the Arab population in the Hebron district.

On July 5, 2025, The Wall Street Journal hosted Wadee’ al-Jaabari in what it described as a discussion of a “A New Palestinian Offer for Peace With Israel” — namely, a breakaway from the Palestinian Authority and accession to the Abraham Accords.

Speaking from his tent in Hebron — the largest city in the southern West Bank — al-Jaabari, also known as Abu Sanad, told the paper, “We want coexistence.”

According to The WSJ, “I plan to cut off the PA,” Sheikh al-Jaabari says. “It doesn’t represent the Palestinians.” The clans governed their own localities for hundreds of years, he says. Then, “the Israeli state decided for us. It brought the PLO and told the Palestinians: Take this.” 

In a separate interview with The Jerusalem Post on July 6, 2025, al-Jaabari stated he was willing to make this dramatic shift in exchange for Israeli support in removing the Palestinian Authority from the area.

He added that the deal would also include the reinstatement of work permits suspended after October 7, 2023, and the establishment of new joint Israeli-Palestinian industrial zones, including in parts of Area C, as defined under the Oslo Accords.

Al-Jaabari hinted to the paper that with Israeli backing, he could dismantle PA control in Hebron “within hours or days” and with minimal bloodshed, claiming that many of the Authority’s security officers were, in fact, members of his own clan.

Al-Jaabari told the paper that his word is law in the Hebron area, vowing he could deliver full and lasting calm to a region that, just a decade ago, was among the most volatile and chaotic in the West Bank.

He attributed this authority to the continued dominance of tribal governance in Hebron, stating that he is able — and, if necessary, willing — to take swift and even lethal action against anyone who defies his orders.

The Wall Street Journal reported that al-Jaaabari and four prominent clan leaders from Hebron signed a letter outlining their intention to sever ties with the Palestinian Authority and establish a separate emirate — one that would join the Abraham Accords.

The sheikhs’ letter pledges 'zero tolerance' for terrorism by workers, in contrast to the current situation in which the Palestinian Authority pays tributes to the terrorists.

According to the WSJ, The 48-year-old Sheikh Jaabari often cites his illustrious ancestors, but his actions are guided as much by his view of the future.

“There will be no Palestinian state—not even in 1,000 years,” he says. “After Oct. 7, Israel will not give it.” 

A second major Hebron sheikh, who signed and declares his loyalty to Sheikh Jaabari, agrees: “To think only about making a Palestinian state will bring us all to disaster.” The other sheikhs spoke anonymously for their safety.

The paper’s correspondent said he had reviewed documents outlining the plan drafted by the tribal rebels, which includes the creation of a joint economic zone spanning more than 1,000 acres near the security barrier separating Hebron from “Israel.”

He also referred to a “Hebrew-language document” in which the Hebron-area sheikhs backing the breakaway emirate initiative identify its initial leadership circle: eight senior clan leaders who claim to represent some 204,000 residents of the region.

The second circle, the report notes, includes an additional 13 sheikhs, said to represent another 350,000 residents — together forming a majority of the Hebron area’s population, which exceeds 700,000.

The Wall Street Journal cites an Israeli associate close to Sheikh al-Jaabari as claiming that both circles have pledged allegiance to him on the matter.

In a separate Arabic-language document sent to officials in the Israeli government regarding the proposed “Hebron Emirate,” a list appears naming eight sheikhs who claim to represent around 204,000 Palestinians — alongside 13 others who assert they speak for an additional 350,000.

Based on the available data, the sheikhs effectively claim to represent the majority of the more than 700,000 Palestinians residing in the Hebron area. Both circles have sworn allegiance to Sheikh Jaabari in this matter, an Israeli associate of the sheikh witnessed.

Although all the sheikhs live in areas administered by the Palestinian Authority, the Israeli security apparatus estimates that their loyalty lies with the clan rather than the Authority.

The sheikhs themselves have even pledged that, if granted political legitimacy, they could “expel the Palestinian Authority from Hebron within a matter of days.”

Financial Incentive

In May 2025, Zvika Klein, editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post, penned an opinion piece following a meeting with Israeli minister of Arab descent, Nir Barkat, to discuss the initiative.

“Barkat has kept Benjamin Netanyahu informed of these developments, but the prime minister, wary of taking risks, has remained formally detached so far, preferring to see which way the wind blows,” Klein said.

The deal being negotiated between Jaabari and Barkat includes the introduction of 1,000 new Palestinian workers from Hebron into “Israel,” followed by an additional 5,000 after a trial period.

However, these numbers pale in comparison to the 210,000 Palestinian workers who were employed in “Israel” prior to October 7.

Al-Jaabari insisted that Barkat and “Israel” would allocate just $50,000 to Hebron alone within a short timeframe.

He told the Jerusalem Post that all essential local services remain firmly under the control of the sheikh council, while the Palestinian Authority’s sole role is to collect taxes — a mechanism he described as a means to siphon off local funds to serve its “corrupt foreign” interests.

In other words, al-Jaabari views the Palestinian Authority as nothing more than a parasitic entity, seeking to reclaim full control over the area — a control that, he says, existed for centuries prior to the Oslo Accords.

The Israeli newspaper notes it remains unclear whether U.S. President Donald Trump will intervene in the matter and attempt to sway global opinion in favor of the deal, particularly given “Israel” itself has yet to settle on a definitive stance.

And if Netanyahu begins to publicly endorse the plan with conviction, will it be because he genuinely intends to implement it — or merely as a bargaining chip to pressure the Saudis into normalizing relations at a lower cost, in exchange for what he might be prepared to offer the Palestinian Authority?

The Hebrew-language Maariv reported on July 5, 2025, that “Israel” has initiated talks with other sheikhs and clans across the West Bank for this purpose.

According to sources cited by Maariv, the likely scenario involves political recognition of “local emirates,” which in turn would recognize “Israel,” in exchange for “Israel” imposing full control over Area C and the unpopulated parts of Area B.

The paper noted that “Israel’s” ruling right-wing faction views the initiative as an opportunity to gradually dismantle the Palestinian Authority without creating a power vacuum — and without having to “cede areas of influence” to the Palestinians.

Some elements within “Israel’s” right-wing appear enthusiastic about the initiative, seeing it as a means to retain control over Jerusalem and seize larger portions of Area C, while local sheikhs are also expected to support the move as a way to sideline the Palestinian Authority.

However, Palestinian sources dismiss this as little more than an unrealistic fantasy shared by a handful of local sheikhs and Israeli right-wing figures, confronted by far greater forces both within their own people and on the global stage, particularly in light of Hebron’s clans publicly denying any involvement in the dubious initiative.

Tribes Disavow

Al-Jaabari family in Hebron has publicly disavowed claims made by the Wall Street Journal that Hebron’s “sheikhs” had proposed a political initiative to break away from the Palestinian government and establish a “Hebron emirate.” 

Statements issued by members of al-Jaabari clan in Hebron rejected calls for normalization with “Israel” and the suggested “clan-based emirate” in the governorate, reaffirming their commitment to the Palestinian people’s right to an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Speaking at a press conference held at the governorate office on July 6, 2025, Nawaf al-Jaabari, a representative of Hebron’s clans, said, “The Palestinian people are a conscious people and will never relinquish their cause.”

“We, the Jaabari clan, hereby categorically deny and condemn the actions of an individual within the family who is not recognized by the clan and is not a resident of Hebron,” he added.

In a statement issued on July 6, 2025, the clans also denied any connection to an initiative attributed to a figure named Wadee’ al-Jaabari, dismissing it as a project akin to the discredited “village leagues,” and called on those they described as “mercenaries” to “return to your senses.”

Regarding al-Jaabari’s background, the Jerusalem Post reported that his father had held numerous meetings with Israeli officials in an attempt to advance coexistence initiatives that exclude the Palestinian Authority.

What sets this latest initiative apart is that it has emerged in a post-Abraham Accords world — and in the aftermath of the events of October 7. 

Annexation of the West Bank

Palestinian sources suggest that al-Jaabari’s plan was likely coordinated with the Israeli occupation authorities, coming as it did amid a push by Likud ministers demanding that Netanyahu immediately approve the annexation of the occupied West Bank in early July 2025.

In an official letter signed by all Likud ministers, they called on Netanyahu to endorse a government decision imposing “Israeli sovereignty” over the West Bank.

They urged him to approve “the application of Israeli sovereignty and Israeli law over Yehuda and Shomron,” the biblical terms used by “Israel” to refer to the occupied West Bank.

They claimed that the “strategic context and American support present a historic opportunity” to complete what they described as the “national mission” of annexing the occupied West Bank.

The ministers argued that “the strategic partnership, backing, and support from the United States and President Donald Trump provide a favorable moment to advance this step now, ensuring Israel’s security for generations to come.”

Palestinian legal expert Mustafa Ibrahim, however, dismissed the “Hebron emirate” as an unrealistic project, describing it instead as a propaganda tool designed to derail any progress towards a two-state solution.

In an analysis published on the Daraj website on July 8, 2025, Mustafa Ibrahim explained that “the real beneficiary is Netanyahu, who once again succeeds in marketing the illusion of alternative solutions to postpone a genuine settlement.”

He emphasized that the initiative originated from Benjamin Netanyahu’s office as part of a coordinated and organized campaign aimed at the American evangelical and conservative audience, coinciding with Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, despite its appearance as a local endeavor.

Ibrahim noted that the narrative of “leaders of some Hebron clans” is not new, having been known for decades, but its current revival and framing carry an unmistakably political dimension.

The aim, he said, is to “reshape the Palestinian narrative by stripping it of any comprehensive national character and reducing it to fragmented clan-based entities subject to individual negotiations.”

He added that Netanyahu views any path towards a two-state solution as a threat to his political project and is now promoting artificial alternatives designed to appeal to U.S. President Donald Trump and the American right.

 Aware of Trump’s penchant for peace through deals, this is where the concept of a Hebron emirate emerges—as a new, marketable model.

The idea of local leaders, cloaked in traditional robes and turbans, governing their territories with economic and security arrangements, appeals to Trump’s imagination — reducing the Palestinian conflict to a form of local administration that poses no threat to Israeli interests.

Netanyahu is racing against time to undermine what could be Trump’s new initiative to revive the two-state solution within the framework of a trilateral peace agreement with Saudi Arabia. 

He understands that the absence of Hamas and the unification of the West Bank and Gaza under the Palestinian Authority’s banner could lend international legitimacy to such a proposal.