James Hider in Hebron
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When a group of Jewish settlers came down the street towards them in the old city centre of Hebron, Hamza Abu Khetar’s friends fled from the house that they were renovating. Hamza, a slim, 14-year-old Palestinian boy, was working on the roof of the empty, four-storey building and did not see the threat. It was a Saturday afternoon, the end of Sabbath, a time when, according to Palestinians and Israeli human rights workers, the hardline settlers of Hebron often go on the rampage.
“By the time I saw them they were already on me,” he told The Times. “They started kicking and beating me. I couldn’t protect myself, there were about 25 of them.”
Beatings of Palestinians by radical religious settlers, protected by the Israeli army and police, are a common occurrence in this dangerous city, where Jewish settlements nudge into the heart of a community of about 120,000 Arabs. What happened next was shocking even by the violent standards of Hebron however.
“They pushed me over the edge of the roof,” Hamza said. “They meant to kill me.” A lower roof broke his fall, but Hamza broke the bones in one foot and twisted the other ankle. He was in great pain in his stomach, back and legs when his family found him. Despite his agony, Israeli soldiers kept the Palestinian ambulance waiting at a checkpoint for 90 minutes because the attack happened in an area where only Israeli vehicles are allowed to drive, his father, Sufian, said.
“They consider us nothing more than mosquitoes, not human beings, as though we didn’t exist,” his father said.
Jews were driven out of the centre of Hebron after an Arab uprising in 1929. Recently however, hundreds of Jewish settlers have moved in. They are surrounded by more than 1,200 soldiers, who protect them but do little to curb violence against Palestinians, according to human rights groups. Near the city centre another large settlement, Kiryat Arba, cuts close to the heart of the city. Most Palestinian residents have fled the desolate centre.
According to the Israeli human rights group, B’Tselem, the settlers who attacked Hamza turned their attention to a Palestinian wedding party being held at a house opposite the Jewish settlement of Jabara, on a hilltop opposite Kiryat Arba. There they met dozens more settlers and started throwing stones at the guests, chanting: “Muhammad is a pig” and taunting two children disabled by birth defects, said Abdel-karim al-Jabari, the groom’s father.
When his daughter tried to video the mob with a camera provided by B’Tselem as part of a campaign to record settler violence in the West Bank, a group of women attacked her. Her brother intervened but he was held by two Israeli soldiers who allowed a settler to hit him in the face with a stone, the family said.
David Wilder, a spokesman for the Jewish community in Hebron, denied the account. “I did hear there was an Arab who fell off a roof. If an Arab falls off the roof they blame the Jews. It’s a totally false accusation,” he said.
In the case of the wedding, he said that Palestinians hurled abuse at nearby Jews. “A Jewish man was hit and scuffles ensued and the security forces were called. To the best of my knowledge, the first blow was landed by an Arab,” he said.
A spokeswoman said that the army was unaware of the incident and no complaint had been filed. The military recently disciplined two soldiers, including a senior officer, after Palestinian activists filmed an incident where a handcuffed and blindfolded Palestinian man was shot at close range in the leg with a rubber-coated bullet after being detained in a protest.
Issa Amro, the field co-ordinator of B’Tselem in Hebron, said that violence was on the rise, with the settlers taking advantage of political turmoil that has forced Ehud Olmert, the Prime Minister, to step down over corruption charges.
“These days the settlers are very violent,” he said, adding that the army protects them. “They are using the gap in the Government to get more land, to evacuate people from their houses.”
— A border policeman has been arrested by Israeli police in connection with the death of a Palestinian boy. The 10-year old boy was killed by gunfire during clashes between Israeli troops and Palestinians in the West Bank village of Naalin last week.
Expanding numbers
100 number of official settlements in the West Bank
5.1% rise in number of West Bank settlers last year - three times greater than increase in whole Israeli population
Source: www.reliefweb.int
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Despicably actions by the Israelis once again.
The setting up of Israel was a huge mistake. If the Americans support the Israelis so much why don't they resettle them to let's say, the Arizona desert.
Andrew Gordon, White City, England
Rocky
leaving is precisely what the zionist israelis wan the arabs to do
ibrahim, anon, uk
Now that the Al Dura affair was shown in a French court to be a hoax, the Palis are looking for another martyr to besmirch Israel with. Are we to seriously take the word of this kid or any Palestinian for that matter when their accusations have been shown to be lies time after time?
Noah, Columbus Ohio, USA
Terrible, I f I was an Arab I would leave to an arab contry.
rocky, london, uk
The West should stop supporting the criminal Israeli State.
It should require it to release the lands it stole and to move the Israeli people from them back to Israel.
The problems in the Middle East are perpetuated by the Israeli State.
Ian, Solihull, UK
....And the Israelis wonder why the world despises them. I have no problem with the Israelis as people but the historic and continuing wrongs committed against the Palestinian people must be stopped. There will never be peace otherwise.
Dan, Winchester, England
The Israel's can no longer hoodwink the West into thinking they are victims, they are as much the aggressors as the Palestinians of not more so. At least the Palestinians do not have gunships and use them on women and children. I think Israel has lost any respect or support it MAY have had.
Krushey, london, uk
Israel need discipline, but no one dares do that, so the people took it on themselves. You harvest what you seed. why should Palestinians negotiate stealing of their and and being beaten up on regular basis. this is one of many incidents discovered by BTselem but which gets no media attention.
Nadir, London, UK
Under cover of IDF? Not only Hebron, a whole Middle East has been destabilized for sixty years so far by the unrighteous creation of Israel with an army that inherited a criminal spirit from criminal gangs who established the state of Israel by displacing 800 t. civilians. Y to peace N to war.
saleh darwish, Amman, Jordan
One thing that most Israelis agree on ,despite wanting a negotiated peace with Palestinians, most Israelis are quite happy that the 300 Hebron nutjobs from Brooklyn live in the West Bank and not Israel proper.
Being an Israeli soldier in Hebron is the most undesirable job in the IDF.
Anthony, Los Angeles, USA
The attack of the boy by settlers (not the army) is indefensible and, as an Israeli, I am ashamed. However, I think Nav was referring to the army's actions, such as delaying the ambulance. Again, everything the army does is due to Palestinian terror. Israel's obligation is to defend its citizens.
Steve Yerushalmi, Jerusalem, Israel
Simon: There is an easy way to make the Palestinians listen - stop giving them money and moral support - only non-monetary humanitarian aid. As long as they refuse to accept the Jewish state and fight for its destruction, what is there to talk about? We are not about to negotiate our demise.
Steve Yerushalmi, Jerusalem, Israel
The Star of David is slowing turning into the Swastika... least we forget this is how it all started in Germany in the 30's, why can't the Israelis see that they repeating the mistakes of the past.
How ironic...
Alex, Kenilworth,
The occupation of israel should cease as they are obliged to by law and means of justice.west bank and gaza strip must be recognized as belonging to an independent state of palestine.
both sides should return to the religious values that condemn this immoral bloodshed.
All 3 religions can coexist
Jalal Khan , London , United Kingdom
Both sides should return to own religious values to this is immoral.
The occupation of palestine must cease with the recognition of w.bank gaza as belonging to an independent state palestine as they are obliged under law and justice.
3 religions should coexist for belief in God and the good.
Jalal Khan , London , United Kingdom
Its a disgusting and inhuman act.
Beating up innocent people with full support of the Israeli army and police, its just shocking.
Its a crime against Humanity.
SAM, bangalore,
There is an easy way to make Israel listen - stop buying goods produced in Israel....
Simon Albion, London, UK
I am pro-Israel, but the settlers are religious nuts who must be reined along with expansion. Proportional representation in the Knesset gives them too much power. On the plus side Israel has an organization monitoring these abuses. Palestinians have no one monitoring their own daily atrocities
Stephen Rothbart, Prague, Czech Republic
interesting how victims of cruelty go on to be its perpetrators thus the bullied become bullies and no betterthan Nazis, Bang goes any sympathy for Israel
peter c, devizes, wessex
Killing a boy yeah will probably get a 2 days wages docked the hypocracy of the world is astounding and saddening, yet the ethnic cleansing that was done in palestine is one of the biggest crimes of the modern ages and only beaten by what Hitler did to the Jews
TJ, Birmingham, UK
How is attacking a 14 year old boy defence Nav? Or taunting disabled children - where is the defence value in that? Please explain! Hypocritical people who claim to fight for their human rights, but who treat others like animals - I know it happens on both sides, but how can anyone support this?
Gem, Notts,
Ofcourse Israel has the right to defend itself...
Nav, NJ, US
The actions of extremist settlers in Hebron disgusts the vast majority of Israelis, but saying that the army actively supports them is nonsense.
Ambulances are always delayed because of terror threats. Terrorists and explosives have been smuggled in them in the past.. No terror, no problems.
Steve Yerushalmi, Jerusalem, Israel