Yitzhar and neighboring villages
Rabbi Arik Asherman
Settler suspected of shooting at Palestinian village
Samaria police detain resident of Yitzhar accused of involvement in riots following stabbing of Jewish boy by Palestinian; police to investigate whether gun was fired in air or at village residents
The Samaria police department arrested a resident of the Yitzhar settlement, Thursday, on suspicion that he had shot at the village of Asira al-Kabliya with an M-16 rifle some two weeks ago, after a Palestinian from the area infiltrated the settlement, stabbing
a nine-year-old boy and setting a house on fire.
The settler will be remanded Friday at the Kfar Saba magistrate's court, while police attempt to determine whether he fired the gun in the air or aimed it at residents of the village. Palestinian residents of Asira al-Kabaliya claimed that shortly after the stabbing, some hundreds of settlers rioted in retaliation - looting Palestinian property and firing guns - leaving at least four Palestinians injured.
"Glass was broken, they tried to set houses on fire and vehicles were damaged," said Ahmed Sami, a member of the Asira al-Kabaliya local council. Other Palestinians stated that settlers blocked entrances to villages in the area.
Thursday afternoon, Samaria police also detained former Kedumim Council head Daniela Weiss and her husband, on the suspicion that they hid two settlers - from Hebron and Adi-Ad - who were suspected of having set fire to a Palestinian olive grove in response to an IDF eviction of the settlement of Shvut Ami.
Daniela Weiss had originally been detained by police for allegedly assaulting an officer, directly following the eviction of the settlement.
