One Israeli dead, four wounded in West Bank

[News_Editor]

One Israeli dead, four wounded in West Bank

2011-04-24 21:41:52 GMT+7 (ICT)

WEST BANK (BNO NEWS) -- One Israeli was killed and four others injured on Sunday after a Palestinian police officer opened fire on them in the northern West Bank, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.

"An Israeli civilian was killed and four others injured after entering Joseph's Tomb in Nablus without proper permits," the statement said.

Palestinian officials said that the civilians were shot by a Palestinian policeman after identifying suspicious movements. The Jerusalem Post reported that a three-vehicle convoy of a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews entered the tomb, which is located in Palestinian-controlled territory, without prior coordination, violating a decree that prohibits the entry of Israelis without army protection.

An IDF initial investigation found that the policemen fired shots in the air after the vehicles failed to stop at a checkpoint outside of the religious site. The worshipers tried to flee the area, and their vehicles came under fire, killing Ben Yosef Livnat, 24, and wounding four others.

The IDF believes the policemen were fully aware that the Israeli worshipers were unarmed. Palestinian officers, however, said the settlers were armed and that they pulled out their own guns, according to Ma'an news agency.

Clashes erupted after the incident near the tomb. The Jerusalem Post reported that dozens of Palestinians set tires on fire and vandalized the site. Meanwhile, Palestine News and Info Agency reported that al least three Palestinians were injured after a group of settlers stoned passing vehicles on the crossroad leading to Nablus city.

The army said Israeli security officials are expected to meet with senior Palestinian security officials to examine the incident.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-04-24

[kuffki]

Is not this interesting.

Palestinians have a problem being stopped at check points to be checked and then on their way, while Israeli's just get shot and apparently that is acceptable and if anything its their fault.

Should it have been other way around, i am sure Palestinians be already screaming all over the world how Israeli's kill civilians

[geriatrickid]

I can understand why the cop was trigger happy. Who knows what people are up to at these religious sites. The Israelis didn't follow the rules, and they knew better.

It was an unortunate tragedy that perhaps should impress upon some that in such interactions, arabs are most likely to come out alive as the Israelis show restraint and discipline. Israeli cops are trained and educated. Arab cops are in the PLA are just recycled fighters from the various tribal factions.

[cdnvic]

Inflammatory language and reply deleted. Some people are on very thin ice here.

[Pakboong]

From the Jerusalem Post: Netanyahu claims the Palestinian soldiers who did the shooting were terrorists. Regardless of their qualifications, he did not have enough information to make that determination. They may in fact be terrorist but it would be professional and objective of him to wait a few minutes before making the claim. It may have actually been a criminal act but public officials are expected to reserve judgement.

http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=217738

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday condemned the killing of Ben Yosef Livnat earlier in the day at Joseph's Tomb in Nablus, and demanded that the Palestinian Authority "take serious steps against the terrorists who committed this criminal act against Jewish worshipers on their way to pray."

Netanyahu spoke with Ben Yosef's aunt, Minister of Sports and Culture Limor Livnat and held the hands of the Livnat family during the victim's funeral in Jerusalem.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=381521 The Palestinian version of what happened appears to be a little more objective but who really cares?

[JUDAS]

I can understand why the cop was trigger happy. Who knows what people are up to at these religious sites. The Israelis didn't follow the rules, and they knew better.

It was an unortunate tragedy that perhaps should impress upon some that in such interactions, arabs are most likely to come out alive as the Israelis show restraint and discipline. Israeli cops are trained and educated. Arab cops are in the PLA are just recycled fighters from the various tribal factions.

Not sure I would agree with the term 'trigger happy' in this case. Even the IDF state that the policeman fired warning shots in the air after/whilst the vehicle failed to stop at a checkpoint. Firing in the air is fairly restrained behavior under the circumstances, but, unfortunately the situation escalated and lives were lost.

[Steely Dan]

I think there is a deficit of hard facts from which to base conclusions on, however I think it's fair to say that had the boot been on the other foot NGO's and human rights organizations would have been whining and condemning Israel based vebatim on uncorroborated Palestian testamony. Perhaps we should try to rise above that level and await more information.

[coma]

Young Palestinians get blown away by IDF Tank artillary just for going near a fence.

From the information in the article the policeman would have acted well within normal ROE's. They had no permit, they were orders to stop, they continued, warning shots were fired, they continued and then they were fired upon. I would have done the same. In Iraq and Afghanistan or anywhere in Pakistan and India you wouldn't get that. It would be STOP,NO, BANG !

[kuffki]

Young Palestinians get blown away by IDF Tank artillary just for going near a fence.

From the information in the article the policeman would have acted well within normal ROE's. They had no permit, they were orders to stop, they continued, warning shots were fired, they continued and then they were fired upon. I would have done the same. In Iraq and Afghanistan or anywhere in Pakistan and India you wouldn't get that. It would be STOP,NO, BANG !

could you please be specific when young Palestinian was blown away by the tank just by going near the fence????

Also what article are you reading to base your findings? Palestinian or Israeli? Because according to Palestinian news release, settlers somehow managed to get 30 people inside 5 cars, which means 6 in each car, not sure how they managed to do the count of people during the fight

Palestinian press claims settlers threw stones at Palestinians!

1. Where did they keep the stones since they were all driving around and with 6 people in the car which holds 5 might be little hard to store stones

2. How could they throw a stone or how far, since car is packed, little impossible to take the swing to throw. Can hardly move let alone throw, unless of course they were all midgets.

Palestinians press then claims that police was called to disperse the group of settlers. but in paragraph earlier they were driving around throwing stones. So which one is it?

Palestinian police set up a check point and was firing in to the air. !

1. So were they driving or out on foot throwing stones?

2. if they were driving, again how could they throw stones and how could police be called to disperse?

3. If they were on foot, why did they set up a check point?

4. How long does it take to set up a check point? 2 mns?

"men had tried to bypass a Palestinian patrol in a parked jeep, prompting the police to fire first in the air and then open fire on their vehicles."

1. so the parked jeep was the check point?

2. i thought police fired shots in the air to disperse settlers?! Were they firing from sitting in the car?

3. Settlers were on foot throwing stones, so why did Palestinian police fire on their vehicles?

"When the shots were fired, Al-Bakri continued, settlers returned to their cars rapidly, driving into the plastic barrier set up on the road, fleeing the scene."

1. Police opened fire on the vehicles so the settlers returned to their cars?????? for what to be shot?

2. I thought they were driving around not on foot, hence why Palestinian police open fire at vehicles

"Palestinian officers told Ma'an earlier that settlers had pulled their weapons and pointed them at the PA security, which had informed the settler group that they were not permitted to be in the area without an Israeli military guard. "

2. As soon as Palestinian police opened fire, settlers returned to their cars to escape be shot, so when did they pull out their weapons and pointed it at PA Security?

3. Just few paragraphs before they stated they opened fire on the vehicles, so when did they INFORM the settler group? As soon as they opened fire, settlers drove off, so AGAIN, when did they inform the settlers?

4. Settlers pointed their weapons at PA Security, is this when PA Security informed them?

5. If they did point weapons at PA security and were fired upon, why did they not fire back or put up a fight?

6. They were throwing stones, so where did they hide their weapons?

7. PA security saw the weapons pointed at them and fired at empty vehicles? instead of firing at people pointing a gun at them?

"Israel's Magen David Adom medical service said shots were fired at three vehicles, which evacuated to the nearby settlement of Har Bracha."

There were 5 cars, why did they shoot at 3 cars when settlers got in the cars and drove off the moments PA security shot at cars?

Again, why PA security shot at cars when settlers were on foot?

Yes indeed a very honest and factual news release by the Palestinian officials

Edited April 25, 2011 by kuffki

[bangkokeddy]

'Just wanted to pray.' Ben-Yosef Livnat

Witness: Shooters yell Allahu Akbar

Breslov Hassid injured in shooting tells Ynet: They were shooting to kill, It was crazy. Incident fatality Ben-Yosef Livnat will be buried today in Jerusalem

Yair Altman Published: 24.24.11, 10:29 / Israel News

A group of Breslov Hassidim's regular twilight visit to Palestinian controlled Joseph's Tomb in Nablus came to a tragically violent end Sunday: According to one of the Breslovers, Palestinian police officers fired at the convoy as they were on their way in to the Tomb.

The fire continued as they drove out, killing Ben-Yosef Livnat, a 24 year-old father of four from Jerusalem and the nephew of Minister Limor Livnat, and injuring five others.

...

One of the Breslovers who was in the second car in the convoy and was lightly wounded told Ynet: "We arrived at the tomb like on many occasions in the past. Near the tomb we saw a spikes chain. One of the guys jumped out of the car and moved it aside.

"At this point a uniformed Palestinian police officer with a Kalashnikov in a jeep woke his colleagues up and they started firing into the air…I was in the front seat. We started driving fast in the direction of the tomb; we got out of the vehicles and kissed the tomb.

"When we got back to the vehicles the police shot at the vehicles, they were screaming 'Allahu Akbar'. It was crazy, they were shooting to kill. I screamed at the driver to drive out of there quickly. When we got to Har Bracha we attended to the wounded."

...

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4060142,00.html

Holy Mission: 'Worshippers visit Joseph's Tomb every night'

Murdered simply for being a Jew'

Thousands bid farewell to Ben-Yosef Livnat, who was killed Sunday morning in a shooting at Joseph's Tomb by Palestinian policemen. 'It was cold-blooded murder,' says victim's aunt Sports and Culture Minister Limor Livnat. Brother of teen injured in incident: 'They knew what they were getting into, and level of risk involved, but they wanted action'

...

rior and during the funeral procession, participants shouted "vengeance," but Noam Livnat, the victim's father, said "revenge is irrelevant because the perpetrators will get what they rightfully deserve."

Limor Livnat's father, Azriel Livnat, compared Ben-Yosef's death to that of Shlomo Ben-Yosef, the first Jew executed by the British authorities during the mandate period.

...

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4060222,00.html