PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION TURNS VIOLENT

SETTLERS ATTACK PROTESTERS AS ISRAELI SOLDIERS LOOK ON

19 July 1996

Qariout, West Bank -- On Friday, 19 July nearly 200 protesters turned out in Qariout village, in the Nablus area, to protest the unilateral confiscation of 400 dunums (100 acres) of agricultural land by settlers from Shilo and Rachel Settlements.

Some time ago settlers from these settlements seized the land and enclosed it with barbed-wire, a common method used by settlers to control and expand upon land near their settlements without Israeli army confiscation orders. In this case, the settlers began working on the land , destroying the grain crop growing there.

On Friday morning, Qariout residents gathered at the site of the confiscation to protest this unilateral, illegal and destructive act. About 50 soldiers were present. Part way through the morning, approximately 70-80 settlers from Ariel and Rachel settlements arrived. Israeli soldiers allowed the settlers into the area of the demonstration, thus allowing an explosive situation to develop. Predictably, the presence of the settlers provoked a confrontation. While the soldiers looked on, settlers attacked demonstrators and journalists with metal batons. Three Palestinians were injured; one was hit by a settler's car and the other two were hit in the face with batons. They include a journalist and a 70 year-old woman. All three are currently hospitalized.

Field workers for LAWE - The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment were witness to the fact that the Israeli army soldiers present did nothing to stop the violence, and stood by while at least three Palestinians were beaten badly enough to be hospitalized. In addition, one of LAWE's field-workers reports that an armed settler threatened him.

LAWE points out the dangerous precedent this situation creates. Israeli soldiers, instead of preventing confrontation, gave the opportunity for armed settlers to attack the protesters. The fact that the Israeli army did nothing to prevent such unprovoked aggression reflects a greater indulgence on the part of the Israeli army in relation to the actions of the settlers. Open confrontation in the Occupied West Bank between settlers and Palestinians deals a serious setback to the possibility for positive developments in the search for peace, and creates an increasingly unstable situation in the area.

LAWE - The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment is a non-governmental organization, dedicated to preserving human rights through legal advocacy. LAWE is also an affiliate member of the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights.