A new video published by the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories shows a Palestinian videographer assaulted by Israeli settlers, causing head injuries, while Israeli soldiers watched, doing nothing to intervene.
A press release from B’TSelem about the incident reads as follows:
On 4 May 2016, at around 5:00 PM, Raed Abu a-Rmeileh, 42, Saher Jaber, 23 and Abd a-Razeq a-Salaymeh, 48, were making their way home after having closed their stalls in the Hebron market.
According to the testimony Saher Jaber gave to B’Tselem, after the three men had crossed the al-Mahkameh checkpoint and were on their way to the ‘Abed checkpoint, near al-Haram al-Ibrahimi (the Tomb of the Patriarchs), they came across three settlers who had a dog with them, and used it to scare two Palestinian girls who were walking on the street. Raed Abu a-Rmeileh, a former volunteer with B’Tselem’s camera project, lifted his camera to document the settlers’ actions.
In response, the settlers attacked him and his friend even before he began filming. One of the settlers hit Abu a-Rmeileh hard on the head with an unopened drink can. He fell to the ground. Filmed by Raed Abu a-Rmeileh and passersby, after Raed Abu a-Rmeileh was injured The settlers also attacked Abu a-Rmeileh’s friends, who fled into the grounds of the nearby al-Ibrahimiya school. Soldiers were present throughout the incident, but did nothing to stop the attack, arrest the settlers or help Abu a-Rmeileh, who was injured in the head. When Saher and Abd a-Razeq returned to the scene, Abu a-Rmeileh was still on the ground, holding his head, sighing in pain and nearly unconscious.
Saher called the Red Crescent and tried to care for Raed along with Abd a-Razeq and other people who were present at the scene. Some 15 minutes later, more soldiers arrived, as well as police and border police officers and a Red Crescent ambulance that evacuated Abu a-Rmeileh to ‘Aliya Hospital. Abu a-Rmeileh sustained light head injuries and suffered from headaches.
He was admitted to hospital overnight and released this afternoon. After his release from hospital, Abu a-Rmeileh was summoned to the Kiryat Arba police station where he filed a complaint and gave the police the footage. The officers showed him some photos, and he identified his assailants.
