Israeli Army Protects Hebron’s Jewish Settlers Shouting “Gas the Arabs”

Full report at Middle East Times, Dec 20, 2007 

The crowd of Hebron settlers shouted, "Gas the Arabs" and, "Death to the Arabs" as they forced open the door of Hasham al-Azzer's home which borders the neighboring settlement of Tel Rumeida, about 20 miles south of Jerusalem.

The water pipes outside had already been destroyed, the grapevines poisoned, olive branches cut, and garbage from the Jewish settlement strewn on the pathway approaching the front door. Once inside they proceeded to wreak havoc, smashing furniture, computers and windows, scribbling graffiti on the walls, upturning personal belongings, and emptying the contents of cupboards and drawers onto the floors.

After a couple of hours of wanton destruction, the settlers left. Azzer, whose family has lived in the same home for generations, eventually returned and tried to salvage what remained of his property. The settlers had warned him over the preceding months that they would drive him out.

"This intimidation has been going on for years and they have succeeded in driving out other families," Azzer told the Middle East Times, "but because we still refuse to leave it has got worse in the last year."

Azzer, a U.N. employee, had invited the Middle East Times to view a video his brother covertly shot during the rampage, his close presence unknown to the settlers or the police accompanying them.

Outbreaks of violence and friction between the Palestinian residents of Tel Rumeida and Israeli settlers are regular occurrences here, while the Israeli Defense Forces are apparently unable or unwilling to do much about it.

...The U.N. continues to monitor these violent eruptions, meticulously documenting cases which they then bring to the attention of the relevant Israeli authorities.

According to a recent humanitarian monitor report released by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, settler attacks on Palestinian children have increased in recent months. Six were attacked and injured in September alone.

 Two children were struck by settlers in vehicles in hit and run incidents while the remaining four were physically assaulted by settlers in the Hebron area.

 ...B'tselem further accused the Israeli authorities of being lenient in bringing Israeli perpetrators to justice while being extremely vigilant in bringing Palestinian perpetrators of violence against Israelis to account for their actions. The group also commented on the number of incidents that take place while Israeli soldiers are nearby, without any intervention.