ISRAEL: HEBRON: SETTLERS PROTEST AT JEWISH ACTIVIST'S DEMONSTRATION
(19 May 1995) English/Nat There was an angry confrontation between Jewish settlers and left-wing Israelis in Hebron on Friday. Settlers threw eggs and shouted at the group, who oppose expanding the settlements. The tour of some two dozen Peace Now activists and members of the Meretz Party met a hostile crowd of Jewish settlers in Hebron on Friday. The activists were led by the Hebron Solidarity Committee - an Israeli group which opposes Jewish settlement in the mostly Palestinian town. Peace Now activists said that the purpose of the tour was to highlight the situation in Hebron -which according to them is a policy of apartheid - the unofficial policy of intimidation against Palestinians by the Israeli army. According to the Hebron Solidarity Committee the army has closed roads to Palestinians and created "Jewish zones" for the 450 Jews who live in the town of 80-thousand Palestinians. Angry settlers shouted at the group, calling them "traitors," and a scuffle broke out before Israeli troops broke up the conflict. Armed police kept the crowds at bay and arrested three Palestinians and four Israelis during the incident. Tensions between Arabs and Jews in the city have been further exacerbated since the February 1994 Hebron Massacre- when a Jewish settler shot to death 29 Muslim worshippers in the towns' main mosque. Since then, the Israeli army has beefed up its forces in the city -permanently closing down the large Arab street market and separating Jews and Palestinians in the town. A full division is stationed at the Tomb of the Patriarchs-the holy site where the massacre took place. Friday's confrontation came just a day after Jewish settlers vandalised Palestinian cars in the town during their celebration of a Jewish holiday. SOUNDBITE: (English) We have seen settlers breaking windows of the cars and destroying the wheels and we saw the soldiers , they see them but they didn't do anything. SUPERCAPTION: Palestinian resident of Hebron Violence has smoldered in the area since the massacre in the mosque last year. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
