Impunity on Both Sides of the Green Line
In September, the police investigations unit of the Israeli Justice Ministry, or Mahash, very quietly announced the results of its inquiry into the deaths of 13 unarmed Palestinian citizens at the hands of police during protests in October 2000 in northern Israel. The upshot: Mahash says it cannot identify a single policeman responsible.
Read Jonathan Cook’s analysis of the Mahash findings, “Impunity on Both Sides of the Green Line,” in Middle East Report Online.
Monday, 22 January, 2001, 01:21 GMT
Israeli child-killer escapes jail
“Thanks to God for helping me, thanks to all the people who were praying for me, and thank God again for giving me this wonderful lawyer, Yair Golan,” he said.
At the time of the killing, the Israeli authorities said he had kicked Hilmi to the ground, placed his foot on his neck and beat him on the head with a pistol butt.
The boy died in hospital a day later after suffering a head injury and fractured spinal cord.
Suspended sentence
The court said in a statement that it had sentenced Kurman to six months community service and a 15-month suspended prison term. He was also fined about $17,000.
Settlers have taken up the Kurman cause
The boy was apprehended by Kurman, who was security chief of the Hadar Beitar settlement, on suspicion of throwing rocks at Israeli cars.
He would have faced a prison sentence of up to 20 years if he had been convicted of murder under Israeli law.
A Palestinian human rights group said the sentence proved beyond doubt that the Israeli Government and justice system were accomplices of the settlers “in their crimes against Palestinians”.
“Such sentences will encourage settlers to continue their aggression against Palestinians, dragging the region into an endless cycle of violence,” the statement from Palestinian Global Dialogue and Democracy said.
MACHSOMWATCH OBSERVATIONS DURING SEPTEMBER 2005
In Hebron, a surrealist drama has been playing out for years. Hebron (Area H2) is a ghost town created by the violent occupation of settlers, under the IDF’s aegis. Palestinian citizens of Hebron who “didn’t understand the hints” and have remained in their homes, live in terror of the settlers. Scores of relevant testimonies are available. In the South Hebron area alone, there are close to 130 internal barriers, with also 101 blockades in the ‘Jewish’ part of Hebron (H2), of which seventeen are manned checkpoints.
‘We saw children holding stones, about to throw them at a Palestinian passer-by. When we rebuked them, one child said “It’s permitted to throw stones” and that it’s a mitzvah (good deed) to kill Palestinians. A settler shouted that he would file a complaint against us for incitement.’ (Hebron, 11 September)