http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=43314
Lieutenant-Colonel Omri Fruberg, commander of the border police, patrolling Ni'ilin at the time of the shooting and captured on the video holding Ashraf's arm as one of his soldiers opens fire, initially denied being present. Following video evidence Fruberg said he had ordered the soldier to frighten the blindfolded Palestinian but not shoot him.
But there is more to this story than meets the eye, as IPS subsequently found out. Bad blood between Ashraf and Fruberg goes back several years.
Ashraf has become a bit of a legend in the area, and many call him the local Che Guevarra (after the iconic Latin American guerrilla leader).
Ashraf succeeded in halting settlement construction on village land after he shinned up a skyscraper crane and raised a Palestinian flag. He refused orders by Israeli soldiers to come down, instead telling them to "get off village land which you are illegally occupying."
It was five hours before the frustrated Israeli authorities were able to remove him, while the picture of him on the crane made international headlines. A pending court appearance is due shortly.
Ashraf has also been at the forefront of weekly demonstrations in Bi'ilin against the Israeli army's land-grab. The Israeli army is expropriating village land for the expansion of the neighbouring Modi'in settlement and the building of the separation wall.
The wall diverges from the internationally recognised Green line, which separates Israel proper from the Palestinian territories, and separates Palestinians from their land. Both the wall and settlement building in the West Bank are illegal under international law, as the land belongs to Palestinians.
For his efforts Ashraf has been shot several times and arrested on three previous occasions.
The Bi'ilin Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements, of which Ashraf is an active member, has been a thorn in the side of Israel's settlement policy for years by engaging in a non-violent campaign of civil disobedience which has been given credibility by international support and a ruling by the Israeli supreme court in favour of the villagers.
Following a petition to the court by the committee, the IDF was ordered, in September last year, to re-route the separation barrier and return some of the expropriated land to the villagers.
The committee was also able to prevent the destruction of a number of Palestinian homes in Bi'ilin, which the Israelis claim were illegally built.
Human rights groups argue that Israel carries out a deliberate policy of Palestinian home demolitions in areas deemed appropriate for Israeli settlement expansion.
Ashraf camped out in some of the apartments marked for destruction on a nightly basis, forcing demolition squads to halt proceedings and for soldiers to arrest him -- only for him to return when released.
The committee has two lawsuits pending, one in Canada and one in Israel, against two Canadian companies involved in the settlement construction. (END/2008)
1 comment:
Yes there is more to the story
1) The Man was wounded in his big toe by a rubber bullet. A fact you decide not present. While shooting a blindfolded man is indeed a heinous act, misleading your readers should not be needed.
2) Omri Fruberg voluntary underwent a polygraph test which showed that he was telling the truth about not ordering the shooting. This is another fact you choose to hide.
I am sure that since you have shown yourself to be someone who hides the truth. These comments of min will also so be hiddem
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