Jewish settlers rampaged through Ramallah on Monday, reportedly causing extensive property damage in the West Bank Arab town.
But other than that and a stone-throwing incident in Hebron, the fourth anniversary of the start of the Palestinian intifada passed without serious incident in the administered territories, though the Israel Defense Force and other security services were kept on high alert.
The Palestinian population throughout the territories observed a general strike to commemorate the beginning of the uprising against the Israeli presence on Dec. 9, 1987.
But many towns and villages were already under strict curfew.
The twin towns of Ramallah and El-Bireh, north of Jerusalem, have been under curfew since the evening of Dec. 1, when a Jewish settler, Zvi Klein, was wounded fatally while driving through El-Bireh.
The IDF, still searching for the perpetrators, indicated that the curfew in the area would continue until the end of the week.
Peace Now sent a telegram Monday to Defense Minister Moshe Arens, protesting that the continuing curfew amounted to collective punishment.
With the 100,000 residents of the two towns confined to their homes, Jewish settlers went Monday to the site of the shooting in El-Bireh to end the shiva, the seven-day mourning period for Klein.
According to Ramallah residents, when the prayers ended, Jews poured through the streets, smashing windshields and the windows of shops and homes.
They plastered walls with flyers saying “Jewish blood will not be spilled.”
Tension also ran high in Jerusalem, following the Cabinet’s decision Sunday to allow Jewish settlers to remain in the Arab village of Silwan, which is within Jerusalem’s municipal boundaries, if they could prove ownership of real estate there.
When Jewish squatters took over serveral Arab houses in Silwan on Oct. 9, claiming their legal purchase, local Arab residents threatened violence.
U.S. CRITICIZES ‘UNILATERAL ACTS’
In the wake of Sunday’s Cabinet ruling, the police took preventive measures. Security was reinforced in Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem, especially Silwan, and West Bank Arabs were prohibited from entering Jerusalem.
In Washington, the State Department issued a statement Monday on the Cabinet’s decision, calling on “all sides to avoid unilateral acts that might exacerbate local tension or make it more difficult to make progress in the peace process.
“All people in Jerusalem ought to uphold and promote harmony in the city by not acting in ways that would prejudice prospects for the peace process,” said the department’s spokeswoman, Margaret Tutwiler.
Meanwhile, Aharon Domb, a leader of Jewish settlers in Hebron, said his car was stoned Monday. He said he opened fire on the attackers and “probably hit” one of them.
Domb was summoned to the Hebron police station for questioning. Security forces made several arrests and are holding one youth on suspicion of rock-throwing.
Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir told the Knesset on Monday that the Palestinians have gained nothing from the intifada and will suffer even greater losses if it continues. He also warned that violence would have a negative affect on the peace process.
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