There has been an increase in violence committed by settlers and soldiers against Palestinians in Hebron.
Acts of violence against Palestinians in Hebron has increased since Jewish settlers moved into what they call the “peace house” located near the main road connecting the Jewish neighborhood of Kiryat Arba to the Tomb of the Patriarchs, according to a report issued Friday by the B’Tselem human rights organization and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel.
Incidents include beating, vandalism, stone-throwing and public urinating, according the report. Israeli soldiers do nothing to stop the violence, the report adds. There has also been a rise in violent incidents involving Israeli security forces, as well as new roadblocks and travel restrictions.
The Hebron Jewish community responded to the charges saying, “the report published by the left-wing is full of lies. The true facts reveal that the aggressor in this situation is in fact the Palestinian side. More incidents of Arab violence against Jews are recorded in one week than in all the seven months surveyed in the left’s overblown report. … A Jewish presence in Hebron does not destabilize the peace; in fact it contributes to it.”
Some 200 settlers moved into the house, which they claim they purchased lawfully and which a Palestinian main claims is his property. A state prosecutor is investigating the claims.
