Israel considering exhuming bodies of Arab residents killed in 2000

An Israeli source reported on Friday that the Israeli State Prosecutor may ask the families of 13 Arab residents killed by the Israeli Police late September 2000 to open graves of their sons in the “framework of the renewed investigation in the case”.

Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth said that a senior Israeli official reported on Thursday that “Israel needs the cooperation of the families of this killed”, in order to reveal the truth, this includes exhuming the bodies of their sons who were killed five years ago.

“They should agree to this issue”, the official said, “We need to examine thae pathological and ballistic findings”.

The Police Investigation Unit reported that this procedure is part of the decision to reinvestigate the residents, and added that if the families refuse, the unit would consider turning to the court.

Israeli Attorney General Menachem Mazuz told the Israeli online daily Haaretz, that the State prosecutor may ask the families for permission to exhume the bodies.

Ma’moun Abu Salah, the father of Walid who was killed in the incidents, said that the family would not agree to exhume the body of their son.

“They where idle for five years, nothing have been done in the case”, Ma’moun said, “And now, after five years, they remember?!”

The Police Investigation Unit said that there is a 3% chance that the unit will be able to find anything new which advances the investigation after exhuming the bodies.

“In every police station they have a commander and a deputy commander”, the father added, “They know who shot our sons, and when, we have no faith in the Police Investigation Unit, which remained idle for five years, we are Arabs and they don’t care about us”.

Meanwhile, the residents continued their procession for the Third day, and took off from Nazareth heading towards Al Mash-had village, and then to Kafer Kanna village. 

The procession arrived on Friday before noon to Al Rena village, where they were received by the residents, who providing them with water and some cold drinks, and continued towards Al Mash-had village while chanting slogans against the Israeli policies against the Arab residents of the country.

Hundreds of residents participated in the second day of the procession, including Arab member of Knesset Dr. Azmi Bishara, and Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the Islamic Movement in the north, and leader of Abna’ Al Balad leftist group Raja Ighbariyya

Members of Knesset Wasil Taha and Abdul-Malik Dhahamshe, in addition to the Secretary of the National Democratic Assembly Awad Abdul Fattah joined the procession of Thursday on its first day.

Also, Mayor of Nazareth Ramiz Jaraiseh, and member of the Follow-up Committee, in addition to hundreds of residents of Nazareth joined the protest.