Jerusalemite Palestinians fend off Israeli settlers who tried to invade Al-Aqsa Mosque

[ 22/10/2008 - 09:05 AM ]

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)--

Hundreds of Jerusalemite worshipers on Tuesday repulsed extremist illegal Israeli Zionist settlers who tried to desecrate Al-Aqsa Mosque and its yards under police protection.  

Large numbers of Palestinian worshipers in addition to religious and national figures were present at Al-Aqsa Mosque since the early morning hours to guard the Mosque against any possible attack by Israeli settlers.

The settlers attempted to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque from Al-Silsila gate, but the massive presence of Jerusalemite Palestinians at the holy Mosque made the Israeli police to ask the settlers to refrain from entering the Mosque.

Settlers attack, injure Israeli soldier; Fayyad calls violence 'terrorism'

Date: 22 / 10 / 2008  Time:  21:28
Jerusalem – Ma’an –

Illegal Israeli extremist settlers injured an Israeli soldier responsible for protecting Palestinian olive harvesters near the West Bank city of Hebron on Wednesday, according to an Israeli newspaper.

Several masked settlers clashed with Israeli soldiers, reportedly beating them with clubs, during the Wednesday assault.

Each of the estimated 12 settlers managed to flee the scene, forcing the soldiers to abandon their mission of overseeing the olive harvest in order to track them down.

This year’s olive harvest has resulted in numerous acts of violence perpetrated by extremist settler groups against Palestinian farmers.
Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad called the attacks “terrorism” on Wednesday.

“That the settlers are even here is illegitimate,” he told Reuters. “And on top of that they engage in acts of violence against our citizens, particularly at this time of year when they pick olives, and with all the olive tree signifies for our people,” he said.

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayad on Wednesday issued a harsh condemnation of the attacks by settlers, calling them "terrorists."

"The settlers being here—in itself—is illegitimate. And on top of that they engage in acts of violence against our citizens, particularly at this time of year when they pick olives, with all that the olive tree signifies to our people," Fayyad told Reuters.

"This is nothing short of terrorism by the settlers," he said.

Fayyad called the olive tree “a symbol of the determination of the Palestinian people to stay on their land and to preserve and defend it.”

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday said the Palestinian Authority (PA) planned to plant seven million new olive trees across the West Bank, one for each Palestinian, as a response to the attacks.

Israeli forces detained three journalists who attempted to film settler attacks

Date: 21 / 10 / 2008  Time:  12:43
Bethlehem – Ma’an –

Israeli occupation forces detained three Palestinian journalists who were attempting to document settler attacks on Palestinian farmers in the village of Kafr Qaddum in the northern West Bank on Tuesday.

Three employees of Watan TV arrived in the village early on Tuesday, and were followed by settlers as they set out for the olive fields. When they began filming the abuse of Palestinian farmers by Israeli settlers, Israeli occupation troops seized them

Watan TV identified the arrested men as assistant Ibrahim Bidwan, photographer Ibrahim Hammad and Mohammad Mudainah. They are being held in an unknown location.

Illegal Israeli settlers have been attacking Palestinian farmers daily since the beginning of the olive harvest this season. On Monday over 100 settlers assaulted farmers in Kafr Qaddoum.