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PHRMG Hotline Update # 7/2002

Jerusalem, July 03, 2002

Settler Crimes in Hebron Under the Veil of the IDF

Several new incidents of settler crime have been reported in Hebron while the IDF has imposed a full curfew on the Palestinian residents. At least eight new cases have been reported of vandalism and burglary of Palestinian shops that sell clothing, gold, carpentry materials, and electrical equipment. In almost all cases, illegal entry was from the back or side wall of these shops that directly faces the settlement of Abraham Avino, famous for its radical, violent inhabitants. All of these incidents occurred while the Israeli Army had full control of the area, imposing a 24-hour curfew with constant patrol of the streets. One victim’s shop is next to a permanent checkpoint with soldiers present all of the time.

When a 24-hour curfew is in place, there is a relative silence in the town and the numerous, constantly patrolling Israeli Army forces observe any movement of people. A tremendous amount of merchandise and machinery were removed from these stores, all through passages leading to the neighboring settlement that is precariously protected by Israeli Army soldiers. For these reasons, it is illogical that none of these crimes were observed.

An interesting new pattern is emerging within these criminal offenses. In several cases, it has been reported that there has been an attempt to make fingerprints impossible to recover by spraying some sort of powder. However, in Mr. Mohammed Imreish’s case, where his estimated $100,000 of jewelry was stolen, fingerprints were allegedly recovered. Given the similarity of crimes, it is possible that perhaps the same people were involved. In Mr. Idrees Zahdeh’s case, the victims also claim that they can identify the criminal offenders and that they witnessed them fleeing to the nearby settlements after the crimes.

Other violent attacks from settlers upon Palestinian homes in Hebron during this time were reported. One incident where personal property was ruined and stones were thrown at the windows of Mr. Zahdeh’s home on March 16, 2002 occurred when the Israeli Army was only 10 meters away, but did nothing to stop the incursion. Another house attack on April 22, 2002 involved settlers setting Mr. Arafat Sammouh’s home on fire, destroying everything inside. In this case, the same settlers had occupied Sammouh’s house two weeks earlier for three days, requiring the Israeli police to remove them by force.

During the recent extended curfews, PHRMG has been receiving less reports of violence, perhaps because all civilians are required to stay inside which prevents assaults against them. It is also impossible for people to assess any potential damage to their stores, land, or livestock if they are prevented from reaching these places because of closures or other restrictions.

PHRMG is taking actions to see that all of these new cases are handled properly in the Israeli legal system, including checking the accuracy of reports filed by Israeli police stations so that they do not minimize the crimes, and is continuing to follow up on pending cases. Over 50% of PHRMG’s cases of settler violence are from Hebron. Although most victims have little faith that anything will be done to gain justice, PHRMG encourages all victims of such crimes to file complaints and push the Israeli justice system to prosecute criminal cases.