Illegal Israeli settlers tie Palestinian teacher to pole and club him in Samu'a

Date: 05 / 07 / 2008  Time:  16:49
Hebron – Ma'an –

A mob of illegal Israeli settlers attacked 30-year-old Midhat Abu Karsh, a Palestinian teacher from the southern West Bank village of Al-Samu'a, south of Hebron, on Saturday.

Abu Karsh was hit in the head with sharp objects before he was dragged to a nearby illegal Israeli settlement outpost, where he was tied to an electricity pole.

Eyewitnesses affirmed that four illegal Israeli settlers struck Abu Karsh with clubs until his head began to bleed. He remained tied to the pole until an Israeli patrol came and untied him in order to administer first aid. Shortly after, Palestinian Red Crescent ambulances evacuated the teacher to the 'Alya Hospital in Hebron.

According to Abdul-Majid Al-Badarin, member of the local committee for defending lands at Al-Samu'a, Israeli occupation soldiers prevented local residents from reaching the injured teacher, and the ambulance had tried to reach him for two hours before it was allowed through.

The assault against Abu Karsh coincided with a rally in the neighborhood organized by local farmers, foreign and Israeli peace activists demanding that farmers have access to their agricultural lands.

During that rally, Israeli occupation forces kidnapped 21-year-old Mahran Abu Karsh (a relative of the beaten man) and another boy aged 13 who was released after the protest.

Local residents said that the illegal Israeli settlers set fire to 15 dunums (15 square kilometers) of wheat in southern Al-Samu'a. They mentioned that one illegal Israeli settler is currently building an illegal  settlement outpost two kilometers from the illegal Israeli settlement of Sham'a. The settler has been opening fire on Palestinian farmers whenever they came to tend their fields.