Israeli-Arabs, PA collaborators clash

One man killed as Arab residents of northern Israel village clash with Palestinian collaborators relocated to area; Arab MK says collaborators are ‘garbage’

Sharon Roffe-Ofir|Published: 12.16.05 , 10:29

A 43-year-old father of 10 was shot to death Thursday during a brawl involving veteran residents of an Arab-Israeli village in northern Israel and Palestinian collaborators relocated to the area by security authorities.

Large police forces arrived at the area and managed to calm tensions at the village of Um al-Kutuf for the time being, after police officers were stoned earlier. In response, police resorted to using crowd dispersal means including stun grenades and tear gas.

Once order was restored, police removed the collaborators from the village. The shooting victim was identified as Fahami Hussein Kabaha.

Local residents have demanded for a while now that the Palestinian collaborators, who assisted Israel in its counter-terrorism efforts, be removed from the village. The repeated requests, however, were turned down.

During one of the many brawls reported Thursday, a family member of a collaborator apparently fired at Kabaha, a local resident, who later succumbed to his wounds and died in hospital.

Arab MK: Collaborators are garbage

Meanwhile, Arab-Israeli Knesset members slammed the government for relocating the collaborators to the village and providing them with arms.

Knesset Member Ahmed Tibi said: “The government armed the collaborators and forced them upon the Arab communities. They must be removed immediately, and whoever wants them should take them to (Jewish) communities and kibbutzim.”

MK Muhammad Barakeh was even more blunt, saying the “Arab public cannot stand idly by in the face of face of the collaborators’ crimes…apparently, the occupation’s garbage not only pollutes Arab towns and villages, but also murders. The occupation forces must return the garbage to its place at once.”

Tensions at Um al-Kutuf escalated recently following reports that security authorities intend to relocate more families of collaborators to the village.