SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Israeli Policeman Headbutts Woman in Palestinian Demolition Clashes
Human rights group B'Tselem films violence at demonstrations as police move in to destroy 'illegal' homes
Nov 25, 2008
WEST BANK - An Israeli policeman wearing a hard helmet is shown headbutting a
Palestinian woman in a video released by a human rights group today.
The short film was recorded by the Israeli group B'Tselem during a protest against the demolition of Palestinian homes.
The Jerusalem municipality destroyed two houses because it said they were built without permission.
The
pictures, taken on November 5 but not released until today, show the
actions of one policeman whose reinforced visor is pushed back above
his helmet.
At one point he grasps the hands of a Palestinian
woman and slams against the top of her head with his protective
headgear. She reels back, clutching her head. Other residents object,
and the policeman is seen grabbing the wrists of a Palestinian man and
headbutting him as well.
According to an Israeli police
spokesperson, the family living in the house that was destroyed refused
to leave the building, and local residents threw stones and firebombs
at officers.
"[On] the day, severe riots took place in Silwan," Micky Rosenfeld, a police spokesman told Reuters.
"As
a result five policemen were wounded and evacuated to hospital, 11
locals were arrested for assaulting policemen and throwing firebombs
and six police vehicles were damaged. This event was exceptional and is
now being examined by an external police investigation unit."
Police
were said by B'Tselem to have used stun grenades to break up the
crowds. Witnesses later claimed police fired live ammunition in the
air.
Silwan is in Arab East Jerusalem, an area annexed by
Israel in 1967. Palestinians want the eastern part of the city to be
the capital of a future Palestinian state.
B'Tselem monitors human rights violations in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem.
In
July, B'Tselem activists filmed two Israeli soldiers shooting a bound
Palestinian with a rubber bullet. They were later charged by the army.
B'Tselem in Hebrew literally means "in the image of" but, the group explains, it is also used as a term meaning human dignity.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
WEST BANK - An Israeli policeman wearing a hard helmet is shown headbutting a
Palestinian woman in a video released by a human rights group today.
The short film was recorded by the Israeli group B'Tselem during a protest against the demolition of Palestinian homes.
The Jerusalem municipality destroyed two houses because it said they were built without permission.
The
pictures, taken on November 5 but not released until today, show the
actions of one policeman whose reinforced visor is pushed back above
his helmet.
At one point he grasps the hands of a Palestinian
woman and slams against the top of her head with his protective
headgear. She reels back, clutching her head. Other residents object,
and the policeman is seen grabbing the wrists of a Palestinian man and
headbutting him as well.
According to an Israeli police
spokesperson, the family living in the house that was destroyed refused
to leave the building, and local residents threw stones and firebombs
at officers.
"[On] the day, severe riots took place in Silwan," Micky Rosenfeld, a police spokesman told Reuters.
"As
a result five policemen were wounded and evacuated to hospital, 11
locals were arrested for assaulting policemen and throwing firebombs
and six police vehicles were damaged. This event was exceptional and is
now being examined by an external police investigation unit."
Police
were said by B'Tselem to have used stun grenades to break up the
crowds. Witnesses later claimed police fired live ammunition in the
air.
Silwan is in Arab East Jerusalem, an area annexed by
Israel in 1967. Palestinians want the eastern part of the city to be
the capital of a future Palestinian state.
B'Tselem monitors human rights violations in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem.
In
July, B'Tselem activists filmed two Israeli soldiers shooting a bound
Palestinian with a rubber bullet. They were later charged by the army.
B'Tselem in Hebrew literally means "in the image of" but, the group explains, it is also used as a term meaning human dignity.
WEST BANK - An Israeli policeman wearing a hard helmet is shown headbutting a
Palestinian woman in a video released by a human rights group today.
The short film was recorded by the Israeli group B'Tselem during a protest against the demolition of Palestinian homes.
The Jerusalem municipality destroyed two houses because it said they were built without permission.
The
pictures, taken on November 5 but not released until today, show the
actions of one policeman whose reinforced visor is pushed back above
his helmet.
At one point he grasps the hands of a Palestinian
woman and slams against the top of her head with his protective
headgear. She reels back, clutching her head. Other residents object,
and the policeman is seen grabbing the wrists of a Palestinian man and
headbutting him as well.
According to an Israeli police
spokesperson, the family living in the house that was destroyed refused
to leave the building, and local residents threw stones and firebombs
at officers.
"[On] the day, severe riots took place in Silwan," Micky Rosenfeld, a police spokesman told Reuters.
"As
a result five policemen were wounded and evacuated to hospital, 11
locals were arrested for assaulting policemen and throwing firebombs
and six police vehicles were damaged. This event was exceptional and is
now being examined by an external police investigation unit."
Police
were said by B'Tselem to have used stun grenades to break up the
crowds. Witnesses later claimed police fired live ammunition in the
air.
Silwan is in Arab East Jerusalem, an area annexed by
Israel in 1967. Palestinians want the eastern part of the city to be
the capital of a future Palestinian state.
B'Tselem monitors human rights violations in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem.
In
July, B'Tselem activists filmed two Israeli soldiers shooting a bound
Palestinian with a rubber bullet. They were later charged by the army.
B'Tselem in Hebrew literally means "in the image of" but, the group explains, it is also used as a term meaning human dignity.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy