ISRAEL: Thousands of Israeli Arabs protested in Sakhnin to commemorate killings of their countrymen in 2000 by police during pro-Palestinian protests

Record ID: 398331

  • Title: ISRAEL: Thousands of Israeli Arabs protested in Sakhnin to commemorate killings of their countrymen in 2000 by police during pro-Palestinian protests
  • Date: 2nd October 2005
  • Summary: WIDE OF PROTEST
  • Embargoed: 17th October 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA5GOIC8Y31KEU9RFO0YNEDCRX1
  • Story Text: Thousands of Israeli Arabs protested on Saturday (October 1) to commemorate the killings of their countrymen in 2000 by police during pro-Palestinian protests, days after Israel said it might reinvestigate the deaths.
    Carrying a Palestinian flag, the demonstrators marched and laid memorial wreaths at the Arab village of Sakhnin in north Israel. No police were present and no violence was reported, following fears of renewed hostilities.
    Police used live ammunition to disperse Israeli Arabs who threw stones at police and passersby in October 2000 during demonstrations in northern Israel in favour of a Palestinian uprising that erupted days earlier, killing 13 Israeli Arabs.
    A Jewish motorist died in one stone-throwing attack and some police were injured. None of the protesters was found to have used a firearm.
    "We are sending a message for the whole public opinion especially to the Israeli government saying that we will never give up demanding putting all those murders who shot dead our young demonstrators, 13 of us, they should be put in jail. They should be brought to justice. We can not except in any case this discrimination between Arab blood and Jewish blood," said Israeli Arab lawmaker Ahmed Tibi.
    Israel's Justice Ministry said last week it would reconsider its recent closing of a probe into the October 2000 protests after it closed it on Sept. 18, citing a lack of evidence. It said a new investigation would be "good for public hygiene."
    The review followed fury by Israeli Arabs, who make up a fifth of Israel's population, that no charges were brought against officers. Israeli Arabs have citizenship rights, but complain of institutional discrimination.
    Israeli Arabs sympathise with Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. They have not played a leading role in the uprising but several Israeli Arabs have been convicted of aiding suicide bombers during five years of Israeli-Palestinian violence.
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