PA: Silwan killing – another Netanyahu crime

Director of Palestinian Government Media Center says shooting of east Jerusalem resident 'a trust wrecking move' by Israeli prime minister

Ali Waked |Published: 09.22.10 , 16:21

The Palestinian Authority on Wednesday harshly condemned the killing of Samar Sarchan, who was shot to death by a security guard in the east Jerusalem village of Silwan.

The incident sparked riots in the village, which spread to the Temple Mount during Sarchan's funeral procession.

Ghassan al-Khatib, director of the Palestinian Government Media Center, said the incident was "a crime added to the series crimes of the occupation on Palestinian lands, particularly in east Jerusalem, which are harming both the people and the land."

He accused the Israeli prime minister of being responsible for the incident. "These are the trust wrecking moves of (Benjamin) Netanyahu, who is directly responsible to the crime in the Silwan neighborhood, and to all the crimes of the occupation regime."

Khatib added that "the person who sends armed settlers to settle in the heart of a Palestinian neighborhood, daily provoking the unarmed Palestinians, is paving the way for these crimes."

He stressed that "these criminal acts will not prevent the Palestinian people from holding on to their land and rights, and will only increase their determination to realize their freedom and independence."

The Palestinian government demanded that Israel allow the transfer of Silwan residents injured in the clashes to hospitals. "The government demands that the detainees be released and evacuated from the village," Khatib said.

Meanwhile, the father of the killed Palestinian did not blame the Israeli government for his son's death. "I woke up at 4 am to pray and my son went to work. Then, at 7 am, we heard that he was dead. It's all in God's hands," he told Ynet.

Yair Altman contributed to this report