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| September 14, 2007 - PAJU (Palestinian and Jewish Unity) ISRAELI SETTLER THUGS ATTACK U.N. Settlers know they will not be punished by Israel for crimes they commit In a shocking display of violence and arrogance, two Israeli "religious settlers" attacked a United Nations jeep and injured the UN driver. An older settler first blocked the vehicle with his body as it travelled in the West Bank, jumping on the hood and roof. He then smashed the windshield, sending shards of glass into the driver's eyes. He also verbally attacked an Israeli photojournalist in the car, calling him a "Traitor, going with the UN." Meanwhile a younger man appeared, screaming at the passengers to "show me your identity cards" and placing big rocks in front of the wheels. When Israeli soldiers arrived 25 minutes later, they did not arrest the two troublemakers, although they clearly did not believe the men’s absurd story that the UN representatives had tried to run the older man over. Both men are known to the police and are immigrants to Israel, living in the illegally occupied West Bank. The younger does not even have new-immigrant status. These are "Hebron tactics": Fanatical Jewish settlers in the West Bank city of Hebron constantly attack and sabotage Palestinian citizens in this way in order to ethnically cleanse the area of most of its Palestinian residents. They first harass and bully, then threaten to lodge complaints against their victims. Such harassment and sabotage is also regularly inflicted on Palestinian shepherds and farmers in the area. It is often done with the full knowledge and approval of the Israeli authorities. A quarter of the inhabitants of the area of Masafer Yatta have been forced to leave their habitations by such "Hebron tactics". Sometimes the Palestinians’ access to water sources is damaged. Sometimes their herds are targeted. At other times, the people themselves are attacked. The Palestinians in the area have piles of papers attesting to the police complaints they have submitted, but the police have never brought any of the Israeli attackers to justice. Instead, when Israeli settlers terrorize Palestinians, the Israeli authorities let them do so. In this way, the settlers and the "legitimate" occupation authorities collaborate in order to drive the Palestinians from their land to make room for Jews. The settlers are, in fact, committing war crimes of ethnic cleansing with complete official Israeli approval. This is the reality of Israel’s brutal and illegal occupation. It must end! Adapted from"The Hebron Tactic" by Amira Hass in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz., Aug. 8, 2007 http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/890981.html Distributed by PAJU (Palestinian and Jewish Unity) WWW.PAJUMONTREAL.ORG |