Subscribe to Print Edition | Mon., July 07, 2008 Tamuz 4, 5768 | | Israel Time: 20:26 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Rosner's Domain
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Books Peres Conference Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File
Comments:  351
Last update - 23:00 15/06/2008
VIDEO: Palestinian woman films masked men attacking W. Bank farmers
By News Agencies
Tags: Hebron, B'Tselem, settlers 

The Israeli human rights group B'Tselem released a video on Friday which it said showed the start of an assault on Palestinian farmers by masked, stick-wielding Israeli settlers.

The footage shows four people with faces swathed in scarves and holding sticks, approaching the farmers near Susya settlement outside Hebron in the West Bank. One strikes a blow before the camera is dropped.

B'Tselem said the woman who was filming ran for help.
Advertisement
Among those hurt in the incident was a 58-year-old woman, the group said. B'Tselem has provided about 100 cameras to Palestinians over the past year in a project called "Shooting Back," which attempts to document rights abuses in the West Bank.

The Israel Police were investigating the reports of an incident near Susya, but police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said no arrests had been made.

Palestinian farmer Imran al-Nawajah, 31, told Reuters that he and his aunt and uncle, aged 58 and 60, were tending their sheep on Sunday when two settlers told them to leave.

"They said we had 10 minutes to leave but I responded by saying 'This is my land. I'm here to plant trees and feed my sheep,'" Nawajah said. The two settlers then returned, this time masked, with others and attacked the family, he said.

"They came toward me and they hit me on my head. I fell and they started beating me. They started beating all of us."

Nawajah said he and his uncle were taken to a Hebron hospital while his aunt, who suffered a broken cheekbone and a gashed arm, was treated at an Israeli hospital.

B'Tselem spokeswoman Sarit Michaeli said Saturday that she was sure the
attackers were settlers.

"What I see are people who have such a high feeling of impunity and are very well aware of the fact that they can get away with these attacks," Michaeli said. "It's very obvious to me that this is a hate crime."

Such attacks are not uncommon, Michaeli said, and they are meant to scare Palestinians off land. She accused the Israel Police of not doing enough to arrest and prosecute perpetrators. Police took the video for viewing immediately after the beating and only returned it in recent days, she said.

Police spokesman Danny Poleg would not say Saturday if police had any
direction in their investigation of the incident. "No arrests have been made and no one has been interrogated in the case," Poleg said.

Related articles:
  • Palestinian shepherds: Masked settlers beat us with clubs
  • Settlers attack left-wing activists escorting W. Bank shepherds
  • Masked settlers beat Palestinian farmers near Nablus
    • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Killing spree
    Police conclude Jerusalem bulldozer killer acted alone.
    The Bar exam
    Attention celebrities: Israeli start-up company can save you from paparazzi
      1.   Yet another staged attack 20:13  |  Concerned American 13/06/08
      2.   No arrests had been made 20:13  |  Mary 13/06/08
      3.   Jewish Settlers or ISRAELI CITIZENS? 20:31  |  jeana 13/06/08
      4.   Video Proof that nothing will get done 20:32  |  Concerned individual 13/06/08
      5.   unconcerned American 20:34  |  wibism 13/06/08
      6.   Lots of Unused Farmland in Gush Katif 20:35  |  Marco 13/06/08
      7.   Masked men 20:38  |  Brod 13/06/08
      8.   Open your eyes, Israel: this happens all the time 20:40  |  Lee Kaplan 13/06/08
      9.   The only masked men I know are not Jewish! 20:42  |  Avi 13/06/08
      10.   this is problaby a fake footage 20:46  |  JP 13/06/08
      11.   The underwear video is the most interesting 20:48  |  Aphemia 13/06/08
      12.   Durson 20:48  |  J K 13/06/08
      13.   This is no surprise... 20:50  |  Silvienne 13/06/08
      14.   Masked Men 20:50  |  Edifice 13/06/08
      15.   Paliwood is in full swing again . 21:00  |  TOMY 13/06/08
      16.   Please Haaretz...they are Jewish terrorists! 21:03  |  Dutch Dirk 13/06/08
      17.   Clearly behind the mask it was Abbas 21:09  |  Sal 13/06/08
      18.   Pass Me the Popcorn 21:11  |  Erik 13/06/08
      19.   How convenient? 21:19  |  Murray the Mongoose 13/06/08
      20.   They should have left like they were told to! 21:19  |  Joe 13/06/08
      21.   Israeli terrorism in Palestine needs to end 21:21  |  POP 13/06/08
      22.   Kudos to the BBC for showing the footage internationally 21:21  |  POP 13/06/08
      23.   masked men 21:26  |  Shmuelshachor 13/06/08
      24.   Don`t rush to judgement 21:27  |  Joe 13/06/08
      25.   Pallywood/Hollywood 21:32  |  Dr. Jack 13/06/08
      26.   INVADE ISRAEL NOW 21:32  |  indrajaya 13/06/08
      27.   Obviously a Farce - But it Works.... 21:37  |  WYSIWYG 13/06/08
      28.   Silvienne 21:38  |  TonyL 13/06/08
      29.   #1, concerned american... 21:40  |  Silvienne 13/06/08
      30.   JOOOS need masks 21:40  |  Boris 13/06/08
      31.   This Israeli terrorism attitude is nothing if compared with the 21:49  |  Human Right 13/06/08
      32.   Jackrabbits 21:55  |  Clickfool 13/06/08
      33.   #15, TOMY... 21:56  |  Silvienne 13/06/08
      34.   Nonsense - Yet another example of "Pallywoood" 21:57  |  David 13/06/08
      35.   #24, Joe... 21:58  |  Silvienne 13/06/08
      36.   This could very well be a falsified story 22:03  |  Johnny 13/06/08
      37.   hmmm conveniently masked. did they know there were cameras? 22:06  |  x-ray 13/06/08
      38.   The ugly face of Israel 22:10  |  US taxpayer 13/06/08
      39.   See? 22:14  |  Yosemite 13/06/08
      40.   3 Jeana,well said! The settlers are just used by the state of 22:15  |  lakshmi 13/06/08
      41.   Concerned American #1 22:17  |  Jack 13/06/08
      42.   Yawn...more Pal double standards 22:18  |  Joe Sittizen 13/06/08
      43.   Paliwood at it again... 22:27  |  truthseeker 13/06/08
      44.   response to #20 22:27  |  Alex 13/06/08
      45.   The criminals must be caught... 22:32  |  Esther 13/06/08
      46.   If you watch the film 22:36  |  Jack 13/06/08
      47.   Criminals and accomplices go free...?! 22:39  |  Esther 13/06/08
      48.   Change your ways, Israel, you allow this all the time 22:44  |  newageblues 13/06/08
      49.   THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS?? 22:55  |  Brant 13/06/08
      50.   More staged propaganda! The poooor arabs boo hoo! 22:58  |  Avram 13/06/08
      51.   to #1 `Yet Another staged attack` 23:04  |  Colin Wright 13/06/08
      52.   Joe 23:07  |  ClearCut 13/06/08
      53.   re #4 `Video proof that nothing will get done.` 23:07  |  Colin Wright 13/06/08
      54.   #16 Dutch Dick , do not take the title 23:10  |  TOMY 13/06/08
      55.   these are the real terrorists... 23:13  |  ClearCut 13/06/08
      56.   Proof? What Proof? 23:26  |  Gili 13/06/08
      57.   film of attack on W Bank Farmer 23:36  |  concerned citizen 13/06/08
      58.   The Israeli Pawns of Apartheid are hard at work cleansing land 23:38  |  POP 13/06/08
      59.   Slow motion ethnic cleansing continues 23:52  |  Maki 13/06/08
      60.   How Convenient 23:57  |  GABE1 13/06/08
      61.   Human Rights Are For Everyone... 23:59  |  Justice 13/06/08
      62.   Wow, the Israeli response on this talkback is disgusting... 00:00  |  POP 14/06/08
      63.   Esther Right on @39 00:04  |  GABE1 14/06/08
      64.   Gili 00:10  |  tara 14/06/08
      65.   HAARETZ HEADLINE NEWS IS FAKE!! SCOTT - I MADE THE VIDEO!! 00:12  |  Scott 14/06/08
      66.   #1 & #15: Not even a nice try 00:38  |  Outsider 14/06/08
      67.   Gili # 56 _ It Is Fine To Be Cynical With all The Staged 00:39  |  Eli 14/06/08
      68.   Israeli (im)morality 00:45  |  david 14/06/08
      69.   #28 Right, blame the victims 00:46  |  Outsider 14/06/08
      70.   GABE1 00:48  |  Philip 14/06/08
      71.