Another example of Israeli Racism
- From: hlmeankin@xxxxxxxxx
- Date: 18 Sep 2005 07:03:47 -0700
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Last update - 16:38 18/09/2005
No police to be tried for Arab deaths in 2000 riots
By Yoav Stern and Jonathan Lis, Haaretz Correspondents
The Justice Ministry's internal affairs investigation unit announced
Sunday that it had no choice but to close the cases of all police
officers involved in the October 2000 riots, in which 12 Israeli Arabs
and a Palestinian were killed in clashes with Israeli policemen.
After finding out the results of the inquiry, the families of the riot
victims began holding a protest at Jerusalem's Beit Agron, where a
press conference is planned. MK Azmi Bishara (Balad) said he would
consider calling widespread protests.
In each of the cases there were major gaps between the conclusions of
the Orr Commission, which investigated the riots, and the information
the internal affairs investigators discovered, they said.
On Saturday MK Ahmed Tibi (Hadash-Ta'al) and the head of the Islamic
Movement's northern wing, Sheikh Ra'ad Salah, announced that they may
file a complaint with international courts against the police officers
they deem responsible for the killing of Israeli Arab protesters during
the 2000 riots, should the Justice Ministry decide not to try them.
The announcement was made along with representatives of the families of
those killed and came at an Adala meeting in Nazareth.
The Justice Ministry investigators said they did not have sufficient
evidence to indict any of the police officers. In some cases,
investigators were unable to locate the police officers involved in the
riots. In other instances, they were unable to determine which police
officer was responsible for the gunfire that killed the rioters.
Justice Ministry official Herzl Shviro, who headed the investigation,
said work was made more difficult because families had refused to allow
autopsies.
Sources at the internal investigations unit named several factors
hampered the investigation procedure.
Investigation teams did not reach the scenes in real time and did not
attempt to collect evidence shortly thereafter as the fierce violence
at the riots would have endangered the investigators had they attempted
to collect evidence and testimonies.
The sources also said that a considerable portion of the evidence had
been destroyed or removed from the scene before investigators got
there. In addition, policemen who were to undergo questioning were
constantly changing their location according to security needs, and
therefore it was impossible to collect their testimonies in real time.
Two of the cases the investigators closed were those of police
commanders Alik Ron and Moshe Waldman, accused of issuing directives to
snipers to open fire on stone-throwing protesters in several instances.
In the case of another top police official, Guy Reif, the police
investigations unit decided that Reif was allowed to fire at the
rioters' lower bodies and that his shots, including the ones that
apparently killed civilians, may have been justified. In contrast, the
Orr Commission found that Reif could have prevented clashes with the
rioters and that he used live fire without justification, causing the
deaths of two civilians and wounding others.
After discovering he would not be placed on trial, Reif said he felt
"some sort of relief" but thinks justice for the families of those
killed has not been served.
"Even if some youths rioted, it doesn't mean they should die. The fact
that so many officers shot, and eventually denied that they used live
fire, should signal a red light for the police and its investigations
unit. I'm the only one that admitted to shooting, but I maintain that I
didn't kill anyone. Both the families and the police need to reach the
truth and to know who shot," Reif said.
'It is permissible to spill the blood of Arabs'
"The report is a repeat of the murders of the 13 victims, and signals
to security forces that it is permissible to spill the blood of Arabs
without fear of punishment or trial," said MK Abdulmalik Dehamshe
(United Arab List).
"From the first moment it was clear that the investigators would sweep
away the crime instead of finding guilty parties," said Bishara. "For
the future of our sons, we cannot keep silent in the wake of these
findings. I will recommend a severe response, maybe even a general
strike and demonstrations in all of the Arab villages."
Hadash chairman MK Mohammed Barakeh said failing to indict the police
officers does not indicate they are innocent, but that the state is
guilty.
Such a decision, he said, is "an announcement that the state has killed
its citizens with its own hands," Barakeh said. "The internal affairs
unit is basically saying that the murderer is the one that sends out
[the guilty] - that is, the state."
Barakeh said Sunday's findings will not satisfy the Israeli Arab
community.
"We will continue to sue all those responsible for the murder of our
children, in Israeli courts and in international forums," he said. "If
Israeli justice doesn't bring relief to the citizens of the state,
we'll have to look for it elsewhere."
Atorneys for Adalah, the Legal Center for Minority Rights in Israel,
which represents the families of the victims, received copies of the
80-page report Sunday morning. The conclusions of the investigation
will be released to the public in the afternoon.
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