Israeli jewish settlers celebrate Purim in Hebron Dozens of Israeli jewish settlers took part in celebrations for the festival of Purim on Thursday, in the divided West Bank city of Hebron. The carnival-like Purim holiday is celebrated with parades and costume parties to commemorate the deliverance of the Jewish people from a plot to exterminate them in the ancient Persian empire 2,500 years ago, as recorded in the Biblical Book of Esther. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES