For More Information, Call:
Land and Water Establishment For Release 17:00 Tel: (972) (02) 812364/824559 December 30, 1994 Fax: (972) (02) 811072
Violence erupted in Al Khader during what began as a peaceful demonstration against the continued building by the Afrat settlement on Al Khader's lands. A large demonstration was planned by local residents and progressive Israelis groups, including speeches by Israeli Member of Parliament Hashem Mahamid, Member of the Committee for Dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians Latif Dori, Land and Water Est. advocate Shawqi Issa, Activist Uri Avnery, President Yasser Arafat (by telephone), Minister of the PNA Sayyeb Erikat, and a villager and land owner from Al Khader. While several hundred people gathered after Friday prayers to participate in this protest, many hundreds more Israeli activists from Peace Now and other organizations were blocked at the Bethlehem checkpoint by the Supreme Court order forbidding their demonstration. For a time the checkpoint was closed by Peace Now's busses in protest to this decision.
When the speeches ended, the Israeli military moved in to forcibly disperse the protesters from the Al Khader area. In the ensuing violence, 12 Palestinians were hospitalized, and soldiers also roughly treated KM Talab Alsaneh and the advisor to President Arafat Ahmed Al Tebe. Curfew was imposed in Al Khader at approximately 3:00 p.m., with soldiers firing tear gas and rubber bullets at children throwing stones.
Residents of Al Khader report that around 100 Palestinians were arrested, along with several tens of Israelis.