Fun and Games with Issa Amru in Hebron

Late this morning I made my way from our offices in the Avraham Avinu neighborhood to Beit Hadassah, a few minutes away, to speak with a group there. Being a few minutes early, I first went upstairs to my home. Coming downstairs, ten minutes later, a friend asked if I was going to film the ‘balagan’ outside in the street. What balagan (disturbances) I asked. “A march, with Arabs and palestinian flags, right here on the street.”

I ran up to the street, grabbed my camera from the car, and saw, a few meters in front of me, a group of Arabs, foreign anarchists and Israelis, as well as a large group of journalists, mostly Arab photographers, and a few soldiers and Hebron residents. Some of the people were wearing masks with pictures of Obama on them. Most of the pushing and shoving, centered around a banner sign they were carrying.
As I started filming, I quickly saw a true Hebron nemesis, also with a camera. Issa Amru can be described as something of a terrorist trouble-maker, a master provocateur .
Who is this guy?
The following is a letter sent today to senior IDF and police officers:
To:
General Nitzan Alon
Commander, Central Command
Col. Avi Bluth
Hebron Brigade Commander,
Commander Itzik Rachamim
Hebron Police Commander
Re: Issa Amro
This person is the center of anarchist - terrorist activity in Hebron. Activity is not confined to incitement and organizing illegal demonstrations and violence, but also includes actual military operations, including Molotov cocktails and more.
For example, a video circulated on the ambush and use of firebombs against IDF soldiers. The tape is written in Arabic “Youth against the settlements" an organization of Issa Amro and his partner Jonathan Pollack.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89FrT8yD1YU&feature=player_embedded
It should be added that Arabs entered the Admot Yishai (Tel Rumeida) neighborhood Friday night, the 8.3.13 (20 meters from a soldier’s position) and uprooted a tree and dismantling and stole a bench. Undoubtedly these operations were carried out under the command of Issa.
This activity can be carried out only after monitoring and gathering intelligence.
This person is behind a series of serious provocations.
On 19.3 he organized another provocation at Tel Rumeida, trying to cut through a barbed wire fence, executed by his brother.
Today, 20.3 was a serious provocation outside Beit Hadassah, coordinated by Amro and with the cooperation and participation of anarchist elements. Arabs marched through the streets with PLO flags, and banners. Hebron resident and a member of the Community Municipal Committee, David Wilder, was attacked and his camera broken. Security forces, rather than help him, did nothing, appearing helpless.
This series of failures could lead to bloodshed.
We demand that you take all actions necessary to put an end to these provocations and incitement, and to stop this terrorist activity immediately. Use administrative detention until you are able to find a long-term solution to completely end this hostile and dangerous activity.
We warn that any delay in dealing conclusively could be very costly.
Regards,
Avraham Ben Yosef - Mayor, Hebron Municipal Council
Uri Karzen – Director General, Hebron Jewish Community
--------------------------------------------
To make a short story even shorter, Issa seemed to be having a good time. He fingered me, gave me a V sign, and blew me some kisses. He eventually took my Canan 5D camera, tossed it into the air and watched it bounce in the street. I think the body is ok but the 24-105, $1500 lens died.
When it was over, eventually he was arrested. The last time he went to court, the judge forbad him to participate in demonstrations in Hebron for six months. That was a few months ago. Having violated the court decision, he may now find himself warming a jail cell for a while. Probably not long enough, unless our security forces get their stuff together and find a way to rid us of this dangerous person.
You can see some of today’s fun and games here: I filmed until the camera took a ride up into the sky. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtZJ0C-uKWA&feature=share&list=UUD87lUSNeHrJ6gme2ujH87w