Swedish human rights worker, Tove Johansson, viciously attacked by Israeli settler in Hebron

[Ferret Annica]

A 19-year old Swedish human rights worker had her cheekbone broken by an Israeli settler in Hebron today. Tove Johansson from Stockholm walked through the Tel Rumeida checkpoint with a small group of human rights workers to accompany Palestinian schoolchildren to their homes. They were confronted by about 100 settlers in small groups, who started chanting in Hebrew "We killed Jesus, we'll kill you too!", a refrain the settlers had been repeating to internationals in Tel Rumeida all day.

After about thirty seconds of waiting, a small group of very aggressive settler men surrounded the international volunteers and began spitting at them, so much so that the internationals described it like "rain." Then settler men from the back of the crowd began jumping up and spitting, while others kicked the volunteers from the back of the crowd and from the side.
The soldiers who were standing just a few feet behind the internationals at the checkpoint just looked on as the internationals were being attacked.

One settler then hit Tove on the left side of her face with an empty bottle, breaking it on her face and leaving her with a broken cheekbone. She immediately fell to the ground and the group of settlers who were watching began to clap, cheer, and chant. The soldiers, who had only watched until this point, then came forward and motioned at the settlers, in a way which the internationals described as "ok… that's enough guys…."

http://www.aljazeerah.info/Opinion%20editorials/2006%20Opinion%20Editorials/November/20%20o/Swedish%20human%20rights%20worker,%20Tove%20Johansson,%20viciously%20attacked%20by%20Israeli%20settler%20in%20Hebron%20By%20Henry%20Norr.htm

[rodeodance]

1. so, will the WH (and others) support this brutality?

[YOY]

2. Fanatic assholism covers all religions

And that chant...what that humor, a misinterpretation, or just plain f***ing idiotic to a people that abhors antisemitism?

Could this story be a fake...if it is true it is beyond pathetic.

[PsychoDad]

3. "We killed Jesus, we'll kill you too!"

:wtf: ?

I just can't imagine them chanting that... Just so unreal.
It's the excuse that all too many in the past have used to hunt down and persecute Jews.

I hope this is a story along the "Arabs cheering in the streets" after 9/11 which was bogus... otherwise this is just messed up beyond words.

Peace.

[sugapablo]

4. Well come on...

Well come on...Al Jazeerah wouldn't print something negative about Jewish settlers if it wasn't true. ;)

[papau]

6. How could it be fake if Aljazeerah put it "opinions" in the editorial area?

:-)

But settler acts are often evil, and the Israel Army giving excessive free speech rights to Settlers does seem to happen.

I'd check Haaretz later to find the truth, if one wants truth.

[oblivious]

13. This is not aljazeera.com or aljazeera.net or the Qatar TV station.

They call themselves an independent U.S. news and research publication.

[Ferret Annica]

7. The International Solidarity Movement picked up the story too

http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/11/18/hebron-day-06/

And I am not someone who gets into anti-Semitism at all, but as someone who has done my fair share of non-violent civil disobedience and participated in many demonstrations, I know crowds can be ugly, and say rash things that the general population finds repulsive.

[The Stranger]

9. Pointing out vile, hateful acts is not Anti-Semitism, so no need to apologize.

[IntiRaymi]

24. Agreed 100% !!

[sugapablo]

12. Crowds can be ugly...

And someone could've easily been hit with a bottle. No doubt.

But the chant seemed very out of the ordinary, and the bias from the article came through in almost every sentence.

[cali]

16. truer words were never spoken.

There is nothing more frightening or repulsive than a mob.

[Tom Joad]

21. For people who want to witness the regular brutality of Hebron's

settlers, please go here. Videos available.

http://www.telrumeidaproject.org/

Please take action. Please help these witnesses. Please help save the Palestinian population of stay in their land. You think its bad for these Europeans? It's much worse for the Palestinians, and this is THEIR HOME!

[The Stranger]

10. Problem is, if it happened, Al Jazeera would be the only ones reporting it.

[MrPrax]

5. Send Borat!!!

He will talk to the settlers, expose their prejudice about 'anti-semitism', millions in the North America will see the results and bring peace to the world!!!

:sarcasm:

[madrchsod]

8. it might have happened that way

because there are some really vile people on both sides of the wall. i will wait for another source to see if this story is true.

looks like it is---here`s the group that did it

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kahanist
Kahanism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Lurking Dem]

11. I have no doubt this happened.

I find the settlers to be, by and large, whack jobs.

What I think MAY be missing or distorted in this story is the Israeli authority's reaction to this assault.

Arrests need to be made post haste.

[pelsar]

15. i agree...

whether the specific facts are true or not....it strikes me as true enough. The hebron settlers are as extreme as they come.....

[davidinalameda]

14. we killed Jesus?

I have my doubts about this story

[Tom Joad]

22. No one is accusing you of killing anyone, but if you are offended by that

statement as any of us would be, then complain to the Jewish settlers who said it.
Don't blame the victims.

[lumpy]

17. This didn't happen?

Who would you believe, Swedish human rights workers or fanatical Israeli settlers?

[Tom Joad]

23. Like Historical revisionism, repulsive in all its manifestations.

[IntiRaymi]

25. Believe the swedes.

[Tom Joad]

29. Believe the Palestinians. I also saw this hate with my own eyes.

I believe them too.

[IntiRaymi]

30. Where does this hate come from? nt

[cali]

31. I absolutely believe the Swedes.

The settlers appear rabid in their hate. I must say though, that rabid hate is present on both sides. And I find interesting the selective outrage. I posted a story some time ago about an Italian youth who was working with Palestinian children who was stabbed to death in Jerusalem because his attackers thought he was a Jew. As I recall, very few if any of the folks who are the first to condemn such acts from Israelis, posted any such utterance of condemnation about this act.

[Tom Joad]

32. He was not set upon by a crowd, Cali. If there were others around

he would have been saved. I worked with Jewish people in the West Bank, and they felt well protected by their Palestinian friends.

Again, you can't compare an individual crime to the collective violence of the Israeli Jewish community of Hebron. This community is there illegally, and they act with impunity. Never is anyone restrained from acting with violence against not only europeans, but Palestinian women, men, children.

Like comparing apples and carburetors.

[cali]

37. Look, I detest mobs,

but both situations are snapshots of hate of the other. And as I recall, the Italian kid was set upon by a group, but that's hardly the point.

I'm sure there are Palestinians who protect Israelis, just as there are Israelis who protect Palestinians.

There's collective violence on both sides, Tom. Surely you'll acknowledge that.

[Poll_Blind]

18. More cross-spitters. Yuck. Their rabbis are 90% to blame for....

...this. Haredim don't do shit like this unless their rabbi gives the nod. It's the same with the hardcore muslims- if you want to discern the motives behind their violent acts you need look no further than their holy men.

  Each of these religious organizational units, with a cleric or a rabbi to lead the group, are like little organized crime families when they're headed by extremists. I have no idea how security and intelligence services in their respective countries keep tabs on all these groups, because most of them have unique "personalities" directly reflective of their rabbi/cleric's teachings.

  I have no doubt they chanted about "Killing Jesus", the Orthodox can be real bastards about religious freedom. They don't even recognize Jews who practice other faiths (like Reform Judaism) "legitimate". Same with some of the divisions among muslims. I'm an athiest but in a poetic sense these groups need most a divine being to descend and smack some shit out of them and some sense into them.

  Of course, all they're going to get is more human leaders. And that ain't good.

PB

[Tom Joad]

19. This is nothing compared to what Palestinians put up with each and every day.

[Tom Joad]

20. Imagine, such intolerance. In a state where govt ministers call for the murder

of Arab members of the knesset. Shocking. Unbelievable.
NOT.

[IntiRaymi]

26. There are reports of hate being disseminated in Yeshivas, here in the US.

If THAT is true, then we have issues.

[breakaleg]

27. So Israel can't reign in their extremist settlers, who focus their rage on the

peaceful Palestinians trying to make a living under dire circumstances. But Palestinians are expected to reign in their group of extremists with very little resources.

Talk about hypocritical.

[Tom Joad]

28. Palestinians are expected to do that, even while under a brutal, nonstop

unrelenting military occupation, while their homes go under military bulldozers, farms are lost, children killed.

[pelsar]

33. spitting and killing?

interesting comparison......i guess anything goes to when it comes to excusing the palestenians from attempted murder

[breakaleg]

34. Oh. Because I thought that by making such a display often causes

the IDF to prevent Palestinians from harvesting their land. So it's not just about harrassment, it's about preventing people from accessing their own LEGALLY OWNED land to make a living.

But again, what difference does it make if Palestinians starve... they are only Palestinians and the rights of the ILLEGAL SETTLERS are far more important.

Do you see how biased you are?

Oh, and the other issue is that the settlers get support from the IDF to do this crap, but allowing it to continue. Is there ever a time where you find fault with Israel? Amazing, since they are in the process of stealing land and have been for 40 years.

[pelsar]

35. i can find fault with lots of israeli policies....

thats not a problem at all....however unlike many of the posters here, i do have two basic principles:

answer any an all questions that come my way as honestly as possible....

dont make up things and dont exagerate.

for instance "palestenians starving"...since your talking about the IDF preventing them from harvesting you must be talking about the west bank...funny how i cant recall a single picture of a starving palestenian from there?.....got any? any other proof? anything? ..or did you just make it up?

as far as the land being "illegal"....that too is not black and white. It was land taken in a defensive war.....which jordan had declared its own.

and yes I am biased....i have a real problem when posters either make up stories or claims they cannot back up an when questioned....they disappear only to appear again and make up new ones

and if you want to accuse me of defending the settlers, i would suggest you find some posts as opposed to making up additional stories.....

[breakaleg]

36. Well, if they can't make a living, then how are they going to survive?

That's the next step.

On the one hand, Israel has a real gripe against the Palestinians who inflict terror on Israelis. I would think it would be in their best interests to allow the peaceful Palestinians to prosper, and by extension others will see that peace is the best path. So I see no benefit to allowing the peaceful Palestinians to be harassed by Israelis. Unless of course, peace is not the Israeli objective.

The problem, as usual, is that Israel's actions and words don't line up. They allow the settlers to harass the settlers because they don't want peaceful Palestinians as neighbors and they want their land. And they are taking it, bit by bit.

[pelsar]

38. how can you tell....

which palestenians are peaceful and just want to make a living and those that want to kill.......that is one of the core problems.....if you can tell me how to tell the difference i'll pass it on and we can then eliminate the checkpoints, remove the wall etc.....

i'll be waiting for concrete applicable answer...either that or an admission that its very difficult and in fact almost impossible mission

oh yea, about those starving palestenains......any picts? or an admission of exageration?

[nicoll]

39. She should prosecute

that is absolutely disgusting and she should be able to prosecute to full extend of the law. Also the soldiers should be questioned as to why they did not intervene sooner. All she was doing was taking children to school.
I find it hard to understand such violent acts. Legally it sounds like GBH, which should have a min sentence of at least 2 - 3 years.

[undergroundrailroad]

40. Locking per I/P Guidelines

Pictures are not allowed.

Locking.


Undergroundrailroad
DU Moderator
Israel/Palestine Forum