Settlers in Hebron
Photo: Dan Balilti
Hebron: 32 leftists arrested
Left-wing activists come to neighborhood of Tel Rumeida to express solidarity with Palestinians, say settlers threw objects at them
HEBRON - Thirty-two activists were arrested Saturday afternoon by police and soldiers and are now being interrogated by Hebron district police.
The left-wingers demonstrators from several organizations came to show support for Palestinian residents of Tel Rumeida, whom they said were suffering from harassment by settlers.
According to the Palestinians, neighboring settlers damage their cars and try to take over their homes.
When the marchers got to Tel Rumeida, soldiers told them that they could not enter the area. When the activists ignored the army and walked in anyway, settlers pelted them with rocks, bottles and eggs.
Warned by the army
One activist, Anat, told Ynetnews that the soldiers warned her not to enter the settlers’ compound.
“They said it would be taken as a provocation, and we insisted anyway, they called us Nazis, and said that we deserved what the settlers would dole out,” said Anat.
Lawyer Yael Barda said, “Some of those arrested were handed over to the Hebron police while others went to the Gush Etzion district. Still others, were arrested by the army, which if of course, very illegal.”
Barda said that the demonstrators came to visit Palestinian families after they had complained that the settlers cleared a passage for themselves, while blocking Palestinian access.
The police said, “The demonstrators were arrested on suspicion of violating a military order by going into Area A and by disturbing the peace.”
