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Settler at Palestinian house
Photo: AFP
House raided by settlers
Photo: Sameh Shahin

Report: Rise in settlers' violence in Hebron

Human rights organizations say acts of violence committed against Palestinians have been on the rise since settlers raided a Palestinian building in West Bank city. Report includes dozens of incidents such as beating, vandalizing property and urinating from settlement's rooftops

The acts of violence committed by settlers and Israeli security forces against Palestinians have been on the rise since settlers took over a Palestinian building in the West Bank city of Hebron in March, a joint report released Friday by the B'Tselem human rights organization and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel revealed.

 

According to the study, the residents suffering from most of the acts of violence are those living in the al-Ras neighborhood, near the location of the new settlement establishment around a house which settlers claim they purchased lawfully, while a Palestinian man claims to be the rightful owner of the property.

 

The report includes dozens of violent incidents such as beating, vandalizing property, hurling stones, urinating from the settlement's rooftops and verbal violence, which take place in front of members of the Israeli security forces, who mostly fail to respond.

 

The study states that the establishment of the new settlement also resulted in additional restrictions on the movement of the Palestinians, which was very limited even before the incident.

 

The two organizations expressed their fear that the new settlement would cause the Palestinian residents to leave the nearby neighborhood, as this has happened in other neighborhoods in the city.

 

The report also details dozens of violent acts committed by members of the Israeli security forces, mainly Border Guard officers.

 

Sources in the Jewish settlement in Hebron said in response to the report that "real data reveal that the aggressive side in Hebron is the Arab side. More acts of aggression are carried out by Arabs against Jews than in the seven months reported in the Left's exaggerated report."

 

According to the Jewish settlement members, "Extreme left-wing activists encourage the Arab violence and initiate it. The main cause for violence and the violation of peace in Hebron (as in all of the Land of Israel) is the terror organizations brought here by the extreme Left and the large amounts of weapons they received.

 

"The Jewish settlement in Hebron does not undermine peace, but rather contributes to it."

 

Efrat Weiss contributed to this report

 


פרסום ראשון: 10.19.07, 07:39
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