Israeli settlers violently attack Israeli soldiers, Palestinian residents, in Hebron

Wednesday December 03, 2008 06:17 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Extreme Israeli settlers are still refusing to evacuate the Palestinian house they illegally occupy and have dubbed it as “the house of contention” in the southern West Bank city of Hebron. On Tuesday, the settlers clashed with dozens of Palestinian residents, Israeli soldiers and policemen; Israeli Ynet News reported several injuries. Settler leaders insist on remaining in the house and threaten further violence.

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The increased violence carried out by young settlers was not denounced by their leaders and elders. Settler leader Daniela Weiss refused to denounce the violence and said that “the settlers are not Christians, and will not turn the other cheek”.

Weiss, the former mayor of Kedumim settlement, said that the “struggle” of the settlers is legitimate and that she will not attempt to control them. Weiss moved to the Palestinian house three weeks ago, and nearly two months ago, she was accused of assaulting a police officer.

Weiss claimed that Palestinian youth climbed on top of several Palestinians homes and hurled stones at the settlers.

The Israeli army and police began to heavily deploy in the area as the violence progressed and the settlers attempted to attack more Palestinian homes in the area.

Israeli sources reported that a twelve-year old settler was struck in the head with a rock and was moved to Hadassah Ein Karem hospital in Jerusalem. Also, the Israeli police arrested eleven extremist settlers for attacking a Border Guard officer.

Dozens of settlers attacked and hurled stones at a number of Palestinian homes and dozens of residents. They also burned animal feed and slashed tires of a number of Palestinian vehicles.

 The settlers, occupying the Palestinian house, are accompanied by nearly a thousand extreme settlers who arrived in Hebron in an attempt to prevent the eviction of the property.

On November 16, 2008, the Israeli High Court of Justice ordered the eviction of the house, but the settlers refused to evacuate.

Ynet news said that a special Border Guard unit will be in charge of securing the house instead of the soldiers who were guarding it.

The army declared all neighboring Palestinian neighborhoods as closed military zones and completely sealed them.

Ynet News quoted a senior Israeli army officer who described the events in Hebron as riots. The officer was also quoted as stating that the attacks carried out by the settlers, the damage to the Muslim graveyard, and the graffiti settlers wrote on walls of different mosques in the city as a “disgrace and shame to the Jews”.   

Yet, Weiss claimed that the Palestinian house was legally purchased by the settlers and that the decision of Defense Minister, Ehud Olmert, to evict the settlers from the property “is wrong”.

She added that if the Israeli army and police decide to use force and evacuate the settlers, the youngsters will retaliate, and added that “settler youths are preparing for a very difficult confrontation”, Ynet News reported.

hebron | israeli settlement | news report saed at imemc dot org