Palestinian farmer: Settlers assaulted me
Palestinian man says more than 25 settlers threw stones at him, told him to 'go away'
The Palestinian, Sadik al-Bari told police that around 10 am Saturday, while he was working with his wife in the field, the two were hit by stones that were thrown at them by settlers. Bari sustained light face wounds while his wife suffered shoulder injuries.
Injured farmer - police launch investigation
Bari said the stones were hurled by settlers living in the Shvut Ami settlement. "I was in my field when suddenly more than 25 people arrived and began to throw stones. They cried 'go away.' Where can I go? I was doing nothing wrong, simply working my land. They covered their faces with their shirts and threw stones at my wife and me. It was the first time I had seen these settlers. They want me to leave, but tomorrow I will go to my field again."
A representative of the Rabbis for Human Rights (RHR) movement, Zakariya Saddeh, told Ynet that Bari and his wife were evacuated to the West Bank city of Qalqilya for medical treatment. "First they went to the police station, but an officer told them it was closed. Only after I spoke to the head of the Samaria Police District did they send a patrol car to hear the couple's account."
However, the police claim that the couple arrived at an army base, where they were referred to the police.
According to the human rights activist Shvut Ami has a record of such offences. "It is a daily threat," he said. "The Palestinians in the area are being abused by the settlers and no one is doing anything to stop it. I have personally been abused by them."
"Though we have appealed to the police and the Defense Ministry numerous times, no one has been able to stop it," the RHR representative said.
Roee Nahmias contributed to this article
