The Israel Defense Force’s attempts to break a general strike in the West Bank appeared to have backfired Thursday.
The strike, which was called for two days ending Wednesday, continued Thursday in various parts of the territory. On instructions from Palestinian nationalist activists, merchants were ordered to open their shops in the morning until noon to allow local residents to purchase essentials.
The IDF over the past two days has been forcing shop owners to do the reverse: close in the morning and open for business at noon. Civil administration sources said that measure was taken to break the power of the underground Palestinian leadership.
But local merchants responded by keeping closed all day. Bethlehem, for example, which usually buzzes with activity in the morning, was completely paralyzed by the strike Thursday.
A curfew, imposed on the town of Tulkarm after rioting Wednesday night, was lifted Thursday. Security forces made arrests during the night at several trouble spots, including Tulkarm, Jenin and neighboring refugee camps.
Curfews were still in effect in the Jenin and Jalazoun refugee camps, and the towns of Kalkilya and Azoun, all scenes of heavy rioting this week.
Several Molotov cocktails were thrown at Israeli vehicles in parts of the West Bank during the past 24 hours, but there were no casualties or damage. A border police patrol was stoned Thursday as it passed Herod’s Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. One police officer suffered a slight head injury.
SOLDIERS GO ON TRIAL
Meanwhile, three IDF soldiers charged with aggravated assault went on trial in the Jaffa military court Thursday. Their commanding officer is accused of inappropriate behavior. All pleaded not guilty.
The soldiers were filmed by a CBS television camera crew kicking and beating two handcuffed Palestinians near a military prison in Nablus on Feb. 5.
Three other soldiers involved in burying an Arab youth alive in a West Bank village were also scheduled to go on trial Thursday.
The sharp divisions in the country over the IDF’s handling of unrest in the territories has spread to the army. About 250 reservists, up to the rank of brigadier general, signed a petition supporting IDF policy in the territories and strongly rejected criticism of the military. It was sent to Premier Yitzhak Shamir, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Chief of Staff Dan Shomron.
The reservists, who said they did not represent any political party or movement, stated in their petition that they stood behind the soldiers who must “struggle with agitators who humiliate and attack them.”
Meanwhile, a delegation of five members of the Greek Parliament who completed a tour of the West Bank and Gaza Strip sharply condemned Israeli policies there Thursday. They told reporters they found hunger and a shortage of medicine and said they would try to raise money and recruit volunteer doctors for the Palestinians.
They said that under present circumstances they could not see any way to “normalize” Greek relations with Israel. The two countries have diplomatic representation only on the consular level.
Yuval Neeman, leader of the ultra nationalist Tehiya party, denounced the Greek parliamentarians. He charged that they spoke out of hatred for Israel, not sympathy with the Palestinians.
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