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Israeli Opposition Leader Urges to Evacuate Hebron Settlers
Israel's opposition leader Yossi Sarid Friday called on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to immediately evacuate Jewish settlers from the West Bank city of Hebron.
"People that bite the hand that protects them, the hand of police officers and soldiers, cannot be considered balanced or normal people," said Sarid, leader of the major opposition Meretz, referring to the clashes in the past several days between Hebron's hardcore Jewish settlers and Israeli policemen.
The settlers were trying to vandalize nearby Palestinian property as the policemen wanted to prevent them from doing so. At least one policemen was wounded in the clashes and seven settlers were arrested.
"Whoever does not evacuate the Jews from there is bringing danger on himself, not just in the territories but in the entire region," Sarid said, according to Ha'aretz daily's website.
However, the settlers claimed that the confrontations were the result of "excessive force displayed by the special police unit in Hebron." There are no reports about settlers' injuries after the riots.
The vandalizing began shortly after a 10-month-old Jewish baby girl was killed by Palestinian snipers in Hebron Monday night. Jewish settlers there urged Sharon to reoccupy the Palestinian- controlled areas in the city.
Under the interim accords between Israel and the Palestinians, Israel has transferred most part of Hebron to the Palestinian National Authority. However, there are still 400 Jewish settlers living among 120,000 Palestinians in the city.
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