Hebron Palestinians claim Jewish rock thrower injured toddler in head
According to the Arabic satellite television station Al Ghad based in Cairo and London, which showed a video of the baby crying, some ten Palestinians were injured by rocks during the incident.
By TOVAH LAZAROFFEmad Abu Shamsiyeh holds his injured grandson in his arms as he speaks with Al Ghad television about Saturday's attack.(photo credit: AL GHAD)
Palestinians have charged that Jewish visitors to Hebron threw rocks at them, injuring a toddler in the head.According to the Arabic satellite television station Al Ghad based in Cairo and London, which showed a video of the baby crying, some ten Palestinians were injured by rocks during the incident.The violence occurred Saturday on the sidelines of a major Jewish event in the city that drew 45,000 visitors over the Sabbath to mark the reading of the Torah portion in which Abraham purchases the Tomb of the Patriarchs, located in the biblical city of Hebron.The city of over 220,000 Palestinians is also home to some 1,000 Jews, so a groundswell of so many visitors has the potential to generate tension in a city, that already has a long history of violence between Palestinians and Jews.The baby’s grandfather Emad Abu Shamsiyeh told Al Ghad that “A large group of settlers attacked our home from more than one direction. They attacked us with rocks and empty bottles. The son of my daughter was injured in the head.”Abu Shamsiyeh continued “We have been under attack by the settlers and soldiers since yesterday.” He explained that most of the violence had taken place either in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood or on Shuhada Street.Hebron Jewish community spokesperson Yishai Fleisher said that the Army had clarified to him that the Hebron Jewish community was not connected to the violence.“We are categorically against this type of behavior,” said Fleisher. It was important, he explained, that the annual Shabbat event in Hebron should be a “unifying peaceful spiritual demonstration of Jewish rights.”Is should not involve “any kind of violence and vigilantism. It is against what we are trying to promote,” Fleisher said.He added that he was not present when the stone throwing took place and explained that it was his understanding that the perpetrators were “young trouble makers under the influence of alcohol.”They should not be able to “take this event and hijack it to their whims,” he said.It was also his understanding, Fleisher said, that Palestinians had also thrown stones at Jews over the weekend.Fleisher warned that there are forces within the Arab world that want to use incidents like this to stoke up more violence.That would be a shame, because the violence is not reflective of the event, the majority of which passed peacefully, he said.The Hebron Jewish community plans to work with the army to improve security at the event, to ensure that Saturday’s incidents do not reoccur next year.Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.
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