Clashes triggered by the murder of Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khder spread from East Jerusalem to several Israeli-Arab towns in northern Israel. The fresh wave of protest was sparked by the release of autopsy results suggesting that the 16-year-old had been burned alive.
Local media reported violence in Qalansuwa, describing masked protesters throwing stones at police and rioting in the streets. Clashes also broke out in Wadi Ara, where police used stun grenades to disperse the crowds.
Our correspondent in the West Bank, Mohammed Shaikhibrahim, asked some Palestinians whether they believed that the escalating tension could spark the start of a third intifada.
One man answered: “It’s a difficult issue in Palestinian society. Do we have enough weapons or organisation for this? I don’t think there will be a third intifada.”
“The situation is bad, everything is blocked, we can’t work in Israel anymore. The Palestinian cities are isolated from each other. I don’t expect a third intifada,” another remarked.
In West Jerusalem, members of the radical Israeli movement Lehava gathered to to protest. Our correspondent there, Luis Carballo, reported that the crowd was shouting, “death to Arabs” and “the whole of Israel for Jews”.
Nearby, a group of Israeli pacifists rallied against violence and racism. A strong police presence kept the two groups away from each other and no violence was reported.
No comments:
Post a Comment