In an unprecedented move that could reshape the political landscape of Judea and Samaria, five prominent sheikhs from the biblical city of Hebron have formally requested to break away from the Palestinian Authority and negotiate a separate peace treaty with Israel.

The March 24 letter, addressed to Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat, proposes that Hebron secede from the Palestinian Authority, establish itself as an independent emirate, and join the Abraham Accords while recognizing Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people.

“We want cooperation with Israel,” said Sheikh Wadee’ al-Jaabari, also known as Abu Sanad, head of the city’s most powerful tribal clan and one of the five original signatories. “We want coexistence.”

The proposal marks a dramatic departure from decades of Palestinian rejectionism and represents the first time Arab leaders in Judea and Samaria have formally sought to bypass the Palestinian Authority for direct negotiations with Israel.

Under the plan outlined in the letter, the proposed “Emirate of Hebron” would “recognize the State of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people,” while Israel would “recognize the Emirate of Hebron as the Representative of the Arab residents in the Hebron District.”

The comprehensive peace plan includes immediate practical benefits, with the sheiks requesting that Israel initially admit 1,000 Hebron workers, followed by 5,000 more. Sheikh Jaabari and another major sheik confirmed that Barkat indicated this number could eventually reach 50,000 workers from Hebron.

The letter explicitly pledges “zero tolerance” for terrorism by workers, creating a stark contrast with the Palestinian Authority’s controversial “pay-to-slay” program that provides stipends to jailed terrorists and families of those killed while committing attacks against Israelis.

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