Clashes Reported in Silwan

Thursday April 22, 2010 07:53 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Local sources in occupied East Jerusalem reported Wednesday that clashes took place between several Palestinian youths and Israeli soldiers in Silwan town, in East Jerusalem.

Maan Images

The clashes took place after a group of fundamentalist Jewish settlers conducted provocative acts against the Palestinian residents and their homes.

The settlers attacked several homes, and attacked residents who responded by hurling stones and empty bottles.

It is worth mentioning that similar clashes took place on Tuesday evening after undercover forces of the Israeli army kidnapped three youths near the protest tent installed in Al Bustan neighborhood.

An Israeli police source stated that two border policemen were wounded in the clashes.

Hatem Abdul-Qader, in charge of Jerusalem file at the Fateh movement, called for protests and prayers in the Al Bustan neighborhood on Friday.

He slammed the Israeli police for not granting the residents a license to hold their protest, while the police gives the settlers a free hand to protest and attack the residents and their property.

Al Bustan is one of many Palestinian neighborhoods where the settlers are occupying Palestinian homes while Israeli courts grant them further power to remove the indigenous Palestinian residents, such as the illegal takeovers of Palestinian homes in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhoods.

Meanwhile, fundamentalist Jewish settlers were granted a permit to hold a protest ion Silwan next Sunday.

The settlers are demanding the government to step-up the demolishing of Palestinian homes and to remove the Palestinians out of Silwan to replace them with Jewish settlers.

The police said that the settlers were granted a permit to hold their protest and that they would be “provided with police protection”.

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