Israel Matzav

Islamic Jihad complains lynching thwarted

For those who have forgotten, here's a description of the lynch that took place in a 'Palestinian' police station in Ramallah on October 12, 2000:

On October 12, 2000, two Israeli soldiers (Vadim Nurzhitz and Yossi Avrahami[1]), entered Ramallah and were arrested by the Palestinian Authority police. According to Israeli sources, the men were reservists, who on their way to reporting for duty entered Ramallah by mistake; Palestinian sources claimed that the men were armed and "dressed in civilian clothes, apparently on an undercover operation"[2], but their bodies in military uniform can be seen in photographs[3] and in video footage broadcast later on the TV. It was also reported that rumours were "circulating through the mob that the captives belonged to the feared and hated undercover units of the Israeli army which dress as Arabs" [4].

An agitated Palestinian mob stormed the police station, and beat the soldiers to death, and threw their mutilated bodies into the street. Then, the mob abused the bodies and dragged them in the street. The killings were captured on video by an Italian TV crew (Mediaset) and broadcast on TV; the famous picture of one of the lynchers waving his blood-stained hands from the window shocked and outraged many around the world, and became another iconic image. The brutality of the killings shocked the Israeli public[5] and were condemned by Palestinian leaders; Marwan Barghouti described them as "an unbelievable act, which should be condemned by everybody." Mark Seager, a British photographer who was the only journalist to witness the lynchings stated "I know they are not all like this and I'm a very forgiving person but I'll never forget this. It was murder of the most barbaric kind. When I think about it, I see that man's head, all smashed. I know that I'll have nightmares for the rest of my life",[6] and the BBC stated "the brutal death of these men - in full glare of TV - will have a lasting impact on the Israeli population and abroad."[7]

Earlier today, the Israeli media reported that an IDF reserve officer had taken a wrong turn in Jenin and had been extricated by 'Palestinian Authority' 'security forces.' Now the entire story has come out. It was almost another lynch.

An IDF officer was rescued Monday afternoon by Palestinian Authority police officers after he mistakenly entered Jenin.

The officer, a major serving in the army's Central Command, was on his way to the Mevo Dotan settlement in the northern West Bank but accidentally drove into Jenin, located seven miles northeast of the settlement. [According to the Jerusalem Post, the major was traveling from Shavei Shomron to Mevo Dotan. The two Samarian towns are linked by a road which has not been used by Israelis since the Oslo War started in October 2000. CiJ]

Local Palestinian residents who noticed the officer driving into the city hurled rocks at his car, forced him out and began beating him.

A Palestinian policeman spotted the angry mob and called for backup. The security officers struggled to reach the battered officer and several shots were apparently fired before they managed to extract him from the crowd moments before his vehicle was set aflame.

...

The officer was not in need of medical attention and was later taken for questioning. He said was driving without a firearm but the matter is being investigated as the Palestinian police said they confiscated the major's weapon.

I'm sure this sort of thing goes on all the time in your home towns.... But I'll bet the lynchers don't complain about being stopped.... This is from the Jerusalem Post:

"We were successful in trapping a uniformed Israeli officer," a statement released by the group read. "We were surprised when [PA security forces] thwarted our efforts by surrounding us and taking control of the soldier. In a matter of minutes, four IDF jeeps arrived at the scene and were given the soldier."

The Islamic Jihad statement further condemned the PA security forces, saying that they should work to protect the "Palestinian people instead of soldiers of the Occupation."

Back to YNet:

Shortly after the incident the Islamic Jihad angrily accused the PA Preventive Security forces of thwarting an attempt by the organization to kidnap the officer in the heart of Jenin.

"After taking control of the officer our fighters were surprised to see the Preventive Security closing in on them and taking the uniformed soldier. Within minutes four Israeli military jeeps arrived and the Israelis were given the officer by the Preventive Security.

"The Palestinian security forces must defend our fighters and the Palestinian people from the weapons of the occupation, not defend the soldiers of the occupation from the weapons of the resistance," said the group in a statement issued later in the afternoon.

Just after noon the IDF received word of the incident from the Palestinians and intelligence information verified that an Israeli officer was indeed in Jenin. IDF officials were in contact with the Civil Administration and Palestinian police and troops prepared for an emergency scenario that would include IDF soldiers entering the city to retrieve the officer.

"The soldier erred and when the Palestinian Authority officials noticed this they did their duty, picked him up and transferred him to the District Coordination and Liaison office," said Salah Basur, deputy commander of the Preventive Security forces in Jenin.

He rejected the claims of Islamic Jihad and said the officers acted in the best interest of the Palestinian people.

The gloss on that last sentence is: If it weren't in the 'best interests of the 'Palestinian people'' to save him, it would have been 'okay' for them to murder him. And that's the little nod and wink to the 'Palestinian people' that terror is 'okay.' Just not this time.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:30 PM