B’Tselem-The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories - July 28, 2002 - Back to Resources Page

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On Friday, 26 July 2002, around 6:00 P.M., Palestinians fi red at two Israeli cars traveling near Yata, a town located south of Hebron. The gunfire killed Elazar Leibowitz, a twenty-one-year-old soldier and resident of the Jewish settlement in Hebron, who was a passenger in the first vehicle. Three residents of Pesagot (an Israeli settlement near Ramallah) – Hana and Yosef Dickstein and their nine-year-old son Shuva’el – who were in the second car, were also killed, and two of their children were wounded.

Shortly after the shooting, settlers began to attack Palestinian residents of Hebron and inflict damage on their property. These attacks reached their peak on Sunday afternoon [28 July], after Leibowitz’s funeral. During this period, Hebron’s Palestinian residents were shut in their homes because of the IDF’s curfew on the city.

The harm to Palestinians and their property was severe. Settlers killed Nivin Jamjum, 14, stabbed Ahmad a-Natsheh, 8, beat Ahmad’s brother Falah, 9, injured more than ten other Palestinians, took control of a house (in which they still remain) and damaged property in some twenty other houses. Settlers also attacked Israeli security forces in the city. In response to an earlier B’Tselem report on settler violence against Palestinians following Palestinian attacks on Israeli civilians, the IDF Spokesperson contended that, “In light of lessons learned from past events, forces in the field are prepared for disturbances by Jews following violent acts taken by Palestinians. The number of forces employed at points where friction between settlers and Palestinians is likely to occur is increased, and reinforcements from other security bodies are also summoned, to prepare for the events and to minimize the possible damage.”

Despite the IDF Spokesperson’s claims, settler attacks on Palestinians, mainly after Palestinian attacks, remain a common phenomenon. The events described below clearly indicate that whatever the lessons learned by the security forces, the changes that were made are not sufficient to protect Palestinians from settler violence.

To download the full report please click below:

Attachment	Size
200208_Standing_Idly_By_Eng.pdf	470.44 KB

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B’Tselem-The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories - July 28, 2002 - Back to Resources Page