Confrontation near Jit
Photo: Yisrael Potterman
Palestinian farmers say attacked by settlers
Farmers from Jit village say stormed by group of settlers near Kedumim settlement; claim IDF presence did not deter attackers. Shomron Settlers' Committee: Incident leftist provocation aimed at receiving more donations from anti-Semitic European groups
Palestinian farmers from the village of Jit said they were attacked by dozens of Jewish settlers Tuesday as they arrived at their fields near the settlement of Kedumim in the West Bank.
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The IDF said two officers were injured from stones thrown by Palestinians during clashes that erupted at the site.
The Palestinian farmers said that after repeated requests filed with the Civil Administration and the IDF's Coordination and Liaison Office, they were finally given authorization to cultivate their lands. However, they said, when they arrived at the fields Tuesday morning they were stormed by the settlers, who appeared to be unfazed by the army's presence in the area.
Palestinians and left-wing activists said the settlers, some of them armed, threatened the farmers and attempted to remove them from the area by force. Two Palestinians were injured after being beaten by the settlers, the leftists said.
Rabbi Arik Ascherman of the Rabbis for Human Rights organization was hit by a stone that was thrown at him by the settlers.
Security forces were eventually dispatched to the scene and used crowd-dispersal means against the rioters. The IDF said two officers sustained mild injuries from stones thrown by Palestinians.
The Palestinians, for their part, claimed that the IDF's presence did not deter the settlers from continuing to attack the farmers, adding that one Palestinian was detained.
"The settlers' method – to attack and claim ownership of the land – is employed during each one of these incidents," one of the Palestinians said. "Then the security forces arrive and forbid the farmers to work until the issue of ownership is clarified. Meanwhile, the settlers bring in caravans and equipment to strengthen their hold over the land."
The Shomron Settlers' Committee denied the claims and said leftist groups were "making every effort to create clashes with the Jewish residents.
"Activists from the extreme Left, which receive millions of dollars from anti-Semitic European organizations, are attempting to set Judea and Samaria on fire in order to get more donations," the committee said in a statement.
Efrat Weiss contributed to the report
