I Saw it in Palestine

Attacks in Tuwani

On May 2nd (my birthday, ironically), CPT sent out this press release from Tuwani:

AT-TUWANI: Armed settlers invade village, attacking Palestinians and internationals while soldiers and police stand by

On Friday, 2 May 2008, shortly after 3:00 p.m., three settlers, including the Ma’on settlement security guard, entered At-Tuwani and accused Palestinians of stealing cherries. When internationals approached, filming and taking photographs, the settlers pushed, kicked, and head-butted them and Palestinians with them, and also broke a video camera. As more settlers and Palestinians arrived, several scuffles broke out while Israeli soldiers and police looked on.

Soldiers and police pushed and ordered the Palestinians farther into the village as settlers continued to encroach en masse toward a Palestinian home. As settlers pointed out and accused individual Palestinians, the police forced five into police vans and took them to the Kiryat Arba police station. Police refused to take testimony from Palestinians and internationals, even those injured by the settlers.

For at least one hour and half, settlers remained in the village and immediate surroundings. Friday evening, two Palestinians and two internationals received treatment for injuries at a hospital.

# # #

I can supply a few more details - first the injuries sustained by my teammates are healing. Second, two Palestinians were attacked by a soldier and a settler. The soldier hit one of them of in the back of the neck with the butt of his gun. Thankfully, neither villager was seriously hurt.