DATE IMPORTED: May 14, 2018 An Israeli police officer argues with a Palestinian woman outside Jerusalem’s Old City’s Damascus Gate, May 13, 2018.. (photo credit: REUTERS/AMMAR AWAD)
X ![]()
Dear Reader,
As you can imagine, more people are reading The Jerusalem Post than ever before. Nevertheless, traditional business models are no longer sustainable and high-quality publications, like ours, are being forced to look for new ways to keep going. Unlike many other news organizations, we have not put up a paywall. We want to keep our journalism open and accessible and be able to keep providing you with news and analysis from the frontlines of Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World.
As one of our loyal readers, we ask you to be our partner.
For $5 a month you will receive access to the following:
- A user experience almost completely free of ads
- Access to our Premium Section
- Content from the award-winning Jerusalem Report and our monthly magazine to learn Hebrew – Ivrit
- A brand new ePaper featuring the daily newspaper as it appears in print in Israel
Help us grow and continue telling Israel’s story to the world.
Thank you,
Ronit Hasin-Hochman, CEO, Jerusalem Post Group
Yaakov Katz, Editor-in-Chief
UPGRADE YOUR JPOST EXPERIENCE FOR 5$ PER MONTH Show me later
Residents of the village of Issawiya in east Jerusalem said on Wednesday that the killing of Ethiopian Israeli teenager Solomon Tekah, who was shot by an off-duty police officer in Kiryat Haim Tuesday evening, was yet another example of the authorities’ “negative attitude” towards Arabs and “blacks.”
The incident in Kiryat Haim occurred five days after police officers shot dead Mohammed Samir Obeid, 20, a resident of Issawiya. Police said Obeid, a former security prisoner, was shot after launching fireworks at policemen during clashes in the village.
The killing of Obeid triggered violent clashes between dozens of Issawiya residents and policemen. Sources in the village said at least 80 residents were injured during the clashes, which reached their peak after the young man’s funeral on Monday.
On Wednesday, tensions were still running high in the village, where posters glorifying Obeid as a “hero” and “martyr” were seen on many walls together with Palestinian flags.
The PLO’s Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), a small Palestinian Marxist-Leninist organization, has endorsed Obeid as one of its members. Along with the Palestinian ruling Fatah faction, the DFLP has always had a large following in Issawiya.
Located across the street from Hebrew University and Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus, Issawiya is often referred to by its local activists as “The little Gaza” and “The Lions’ Den” because of frequent clashes between youths and police forces.
Some Issawiya residents have disputed the police version regarding the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting of Obeid.
“He bought the fireworks in preparation for a wedding,” Ashraf Obeid, a relative of the slain man, told The Jerusalem Post. “It’s not unusual for people here to use fireworks at weddings and on other occasions, and the police are well aware of this phenomenon.”
Ashraf and other family members claimed that Obeid did not direct the fireworks towards the policemen. “The policemen were standing far from him, and there’s no way he could have endangered their lives,” said Akram Abu Sbeitan, who lives near the place where the shooting took place.
He said that although he did not witness the incident, he still believes that there was no reason for the police officers to use live ammunition. “They could have fired tear gas or rubber bullets at Mohammed,” he added. “Where in the world do security forces kill someone for launching fireworks?”
Obeid’s older sister said she was at home on Friday night when she heard the shooting. “I heard four bullets being shot,” she recalled. “The shooting was very close to our home. I rushed outside and saw many young men shouting and crying. When I tried to get closer to where they were, the men shouted at me to go away. Then one of them shouted at me: Your bother has been martyred! You should be proud.”
Several Issawiya residents are convinced that the police used live ammunition only because Obeid was an Arab. “The police wouldn’t dare kill a Jew for launching fireworks,” said Widad Darwish, a local schoolteacher. “Look what happened when the Ethiopian Jews protested the killing of their son. The protesters rioted and set fire to police vehicles. They even attacked and overturned a police car, endangering the life of a policeman who was inside the vehicle. We didn’t see the police shoot any of the Ethiopian rioters. We all know why: because they’re Jews.”
Other residents, however, told the Post that the Tekah and Obeid killings was proof of the police’s trigger-happy policy towards Arabs and dark-skinned people.
“The two cases are a clear sign of how the authorities view Arabs and blacks,” said Ahmed Issawiya, a construction worker from the village. “One man was killed by the police because he’s Arab, while the second was shot because of the color of his skin. In the eyes of the authorities, an Arab man and a dark-skinned man are immediately seen as terrorists and criminals.”
Mohammed Abu al-Hummous, a political activist from Issawiya, said that the residents of his village have long been suffering from strict police measures. In the past three weeks, he added, police forces have been raiding the village and closing its entrances almost on a daily basis. “These provocations are putting too much pressure on the people,” he said. “They want the Arabs to leave Issawiya and East Jerusalem and move to the West Bank.”
A Jerusalem Police officer said in response that the measures came in response to increased incidents of stone-throwing at policemen and Israeli cars passing near the village.
Join Jerusalem Post Premium Plus now for just $5 and upgrade your experience with an ads-free website and exclusive content. Click here>>
Comments are closed.