B'Tselem : Settler violence on the rise in Hebron

Friday October 19, 2007 12:33 by Colin Bell - 1 of International Middle East Media Center - IMEMC Editorial Group

The Israeli human rights organization, B'Tselem, reports that settler violence in the West Bank city of Hebron has increased in recent months and Israeli security forces do little to combat the problem.

Researchers from B'Tselem and the Association for Civil Rights say that there has been a sharp rise in the number of reported attacks on Palestinians by settlers and Israeli security forces. They point to the establishment in Hebron of the new settlement in the Palestinian a-Ras district as the main reason for the deteriorating situation.

The settlement was set up in March 2007 and in the months that have passed since then it has grown, despite the decision of the Defence Minister at the time that it be evacuated. It is now connected to the electricity grid and renovation work is being done. There are no signs of an evacuation.

Since the settlement was established there have been scores of cases in which settlers have attacked Palestinians living in the area. The attacks include beatings, blocking of rights of way, destruction of property, the throwing of stones, eggs, refuse, bottles and urine, spitting, threats, and urinating from structures in the settlement.

Many of these incidents have taken place in front of the Israel soldiers assigned to protect the settlement, yet they rarely take any action, a common attitude in Hebron

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