A secret government plan to establish the settlement began with the expropriation of Palestinian land ostensibly for a military base . According to the minutes of a meeting between senior officials in the office of Defense Minister Moshe Dayan in July 1970 , houses would be constructed " for military purposes " before being turned over to Jewish civilians as a settlement . This method of settlement foundation , which was very common at the time , was intended to give the appearance of compliance with International Law . Israeli settlers claimed that Jewish settlement around Hebron was justified in light of the 1929 Hebron massacre and the continuous presence of Jews in the area until then . The town is a self-sufficient community , with pre-nursery through post-secondary educational institutions , medical facilities , shopping centers , a bank and a post office . Kiryat Arba attained local council status in 1979 . While Kiryat Arba is located within the territory of the Har Hebron Regional Council , it is an independent local council
1929 Hebron massacre
1929 Hebron massacre
Kiryat Arba