Violence Erupts In East Jerusalem After Deadly Shooting Of Palestinian, Clouding Peace Efforts

[Purveyor]

By JOSEF FEDERMAN | Associated Press

Crowds of Palestinian youths went on violent rampages in east Jerusalem on Thursday, stoning buses, overturning cars and facing down Israeli riot police at the holy city's most sensitive religious site following the shooting death of a local man.

The sudden burst of violence immediately clouded fragile peace efforts, even as the Palestinian president signaled he may back away from threats to walk away from the negotiations next week if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proceeds with plans to resume settlement construction in the West Bank.

"I cannot say I will leave the negotiations, but it's very difficult for me to resume talks if Prime Minister Netanyahu declares that he will continue his (settlement) activity in the West Bank and Jerusalem," Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said in an address to U.S. Jewish leaders late Tuesday in New York, according to a transcript of the event obtained by The Associated Press.

--SNIP
Wednesday's clashes erupted in the Silwan neighborhood shortly after a 32-year-old Palestinian man was killed by a private Israeli security guard watching over Jewish families in the area. About 70 ultranationalist Jewish families live in Silwan, amid some 50,000 Palestinian residents.

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http://www.newser.com/article/d9id26ho0/violence-erupts-in-east-jerusalem-after-deadly-shooting-of-palestinian-clouding-peace-efforts.html

[azurnoir]

1. IDF raided the funeral of the man killed and his killer has been released

Four journalists were injured and four others detained by Israeli forces in clashes Wednesday between Palestinians and Israeli police in occupied East Jerusalem.

Israeli police detained four photojournalists working for Palestinian newspapers and websites inside Israel while they were covering confrontations near East Jerusalem’s Lions Gate.

The detained journalists were identified as Amir Muhammad Abed Rabbo of the Panorama publication in Jerusalem, photojournalist Muammar Awad of MNB, correspondent Nur Karama of the Radar website, and Umran Ar-Rishiq, who works for the rights group Al-Haq.

<snip>

Israeli authorities released on bail the Israeli guard who shot dead one Palestinian in Silwan hours earlier. The guard was contracted with Israel's Housing Ministry to provide security for settlements in the flashpoint neighborhood.


http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=317080

[azurnoir]

2. New video disproves settler version of Silwan shooting

Wadi Hilweh Information Center video reveals that the testimony given by the guard who killed Samer Sarhan last week Wednesday is invalid. The video recording was aired on Israeli Channel Two News.

The killer told the Israeli police that the incident had occurred when he was trying to defend himself from a planned ambush. He claimed that the street in Wadi Hilweh where he was driving was blocked by garbage containers, and that after stopping, his Jeep did not start. He claimed that after he stepped out of the vehicle, Palestinian residents began throwing stones at him - according to the claims – and that he had to shoot to defend himself. As a result Samer Sarhan was killed.

However, the video camera which was unveiled by Wadi Hilweh Information Center clearly shows that the street was not blocked and that the killer had fled in his vehicle immediately after the shooting.

It should be noted that the Israeli police accepted the shooter’s version and released him to his home less than 24 hours following the incident. This leads the residents of Silwan to fear that the settlement guards have complete freedom to use their weapons as they deem fit.

http://mondoweiss.net/2010/09/new-video-disproves-settler-version-of-silwan-shooting.html