Will Jewish settlers shoot Palestinian police in Hebron
Palestine, Local, 1/12/1998

The daily tension in the city of Hebron between the Palestinians and Jewish settlers might end up in an open confrontation that might even involve settlers opening fire on the Palestinian police force in the city. Senior police officers in Israel warned recently that the Jewish settlers are very likely to open fire on Palestinian policemen in response to what the settlers claim is harassment from the Palestinian police force serving in the city.

The Hebron Protocol that was signed between Palestinians and Israelis in January 1997 had left the heart of the city, where some 400 Jewish settlers resided, under Israel's full control. The presence of those settlers, ever since they took over houses in the city as early as the start of the 80s, has been a source of tension. Hebron residents have complained of endless acts of provocation by those settlers who used to raid the market area, turn over peddler stands loaded with vegetables and fruit. In other instances, setters were involved in violent attacks, including live fire shooting, on Palestinian civilians in the city. And after the Palestinian police forces took their positions in areas adjacent to the Jewish enclave in the city, they became the favorite target of those settlers.

"The settlers know well that we will return fire and that is exactly what they build on," said a Palestinian policeman last week. He said it would be near impossible for his police force to remain "sitting ducks" once settlers open fire at them. He admitted that should an event of this kind occur in Hebron, it might become "the last nail in the peace process coffin." An officer standing next to him said the situation in Hebron has always been volatile but warned that the settlers might resort to armed violence once they feel that the Israeli government is on the verge of taking a decision to implement the second phase redeployment in the West Bank.

"Remember," said the officer, "those settlers form the most extreme core of Jewish fundamentalism in the West Bank. They are not only opposed to the Palestinian National Authority but they even see in Netanyahu's government a lenient one. That is why they might resort to their Israeli-army supplied weapons they have on them in order to change the course of events in the region."

On the settlers front, they too have their own claims against the Palestinian policemen who, they said, harass them as they walk or drive through H1, the area that covers some 80 percent of Hebron which was handed over to the Palestinian government after the Hebron Protocol. A young settler claimed that last week he was beaten up by Palestinian policemen who arrested him "without justification." Another settler said he drove his car next to the Glass Junction at the entrance to Hebron when he was stopped by Palestinian policemen who asked him to identify himself and to present legal documents on his vehicle. The settler claimed he was pulled out of his car and that some of the Palestinian policemen loaded their guns and aimed them at him. The settler was held for a bit over one hour before he was released.

No Palestinian comments on these specific incidents were available but Palestinian policemen believe the settlers try to provoke this kind of treatment when they refuse to identify themselves and behave like sovereign powers, even in the area under the full control of the Palestinians. "I do not expect the Israeli police to turn a blind eye to someone from Hebron who drives his car in the heart of Tel Aviv in a reckless way," said one Palestinian officer, noting that every authority needs to maintain law and order and "one cannot differentiate in applying rules and regulations."

Previous Stories:
  Peace Now brings effective tactics against government and settlements   (1/3/1998)
  Redeployment proposals partition West Bank. Mordechai's vs Sharon   (12/15/1997)
  Bloodshed inevitable in Jerusalem says minister   (11/24/1997)

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