Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin ordered an immediate investigation Tuesday into the alleged misuse of firearms by Jewish settlers in the West Bank. His order followed a briefing he was given about an incident Monday evening in the Balata refugee camp near Nablus.
According to reports, Jewish settlers driving to prayers at Joseph’s Tomb on the outskirts of the city were stoned by Arabs. The settlers gave chase, entered the refugee camp and fired three shots into the air. Security forces rushed to the scene and demanded that the settlers leave. Rabin said he wants a thorough investigation to determine whether the settlers used firearms according to regulations.
The Defense Minister also spent Tuesday morning in Nablus meeting with heads of Arab universities in the West Bank to discuss the increasing incidence of student violence. While he was touring Nablus, a stone was thrown at Rabin’s convoy. The assailant was caught and held for questioning.
STRESSES NON-INTERFERENCE POLICY
During his meeting with Hafez Toukan, the Israel-appointed Mayor of Nablus, and the headmasters of five universities, Rabin stressed that Israel does not want to interfere in academic affairs but that he would not permit the campuses to become centers of unrest for the entire area. According to Rabin, the universities have replaced the refugee camps as the main source of disorder in the West Bank during the past five months.
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