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"They Stepped On Me Like A Dog"

The News From Israel

Orly Halpern rounds up the news from Israel.

"They stepped on me like a dog."--Coptic Priest Father Arsanius on being beaten by Israeli police on Holy Saturday of Light.

  • Settlers exhume graves, spray racist graffiti - Settlers from the Eli settlement exhumed a number of graves and sprayed racist graffiti in the Sawiya village near Nablus. He added that a plant nursery and two tractors, belonging to local Abdel Azziz Nasserallah, were also damaged in the attack. (Maan)
  • Tel-Aviv: Left-wing activists commemorated the Nakba; Students protest - Arab and Jewish students demonstrated yesterday at Tel-Aviv University requesting to commemorate Naqba Day. Students and right-wing activists from 'Im Tirtzu' expressed opposition to the ceremony. Jerusalem police prepared for Nakba Daytomorrow by increasing forces, although it received no intelligence information about intentions to disturb the peace. (Israel Hayom, p. 11)
  • 'PMO freezing Jerusalem construction for diplomatic reasons' - Plan to build 1,500 new houses in northern Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo on hold despite having necessary approvals. Housing official: We are not engaged in peace talks, but we are also not building. It is a lose-lose situation for us. (Israel Hayom)
  • PA to stop paying Israeli prisoner fines in June - The boycott of fines levied by Israeli courts will begin on June 1. "Paying the fines to Israeli courts is theft, illegal economic plunder and funds the Israeli occupation," said Minister of Prisoners' Affairs. Relatives of prisoners on Thursday criticized the move. (Maan)
  • IDF to stop using shells with white phosphorus in populated areas, state tells High Court- Human rights groups say the announcement does not obviate their demand for a prohibition against the munition, which they say killed dozens of Palestinians during Operation Cast Lead. (Haaretz+ and Ynet)
  • The inspectors poured chlorine into the cooking pots of the N. African migrants - Day after Health Ministry inspectors and Tel-Aviv municipality officials raided the restaurants of N. African migrants and poured chlorine bleach into their cooking pots, claiming poor conditions, the asylum seekers living in the area were still upset. "It was more humiliating than what we went through in Sinai." (Maariv, p. 6/NRG Hebrew andHaaretz+)

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