HEBRON DISTRICT:  Settlers again attack CPTers, Palestinians and other international accompaniment volunteers

CPTnet October 9, 2004
By Maia Williams

On Saturday, October 9, 2004 at around 3p.m., on the road from Tuba to Tuwani, eight  settlers with wooden sticks and sling shots attacked CPTers Diana Zimmerman and Diane Janzen, an Operation Dove member (name withheld by request), one resident from Tuwani, two residents from Tuba, and two fieldworkers from Amnesty International, Donatella Rovera and Maartje Houbrechts.

When the accompaniment team saw the settlers, dressed in blue jeans, t-shirts, and masks walking toward them they called the police immediately and began walking quickly away from the settlers.  Three of the settlers with sling shots ran after the Palestinians hurling stones at them.  The other five settlers attacked the accompaniment team.  The masked settlers hit Donatello Rovera and Diane Janzen with wooden sticks. Then the settlers beat the Operation Dove member and stole his video camera.  The settlers finally ran away when one of the Amnesty International women yelled at the the settlers in Hebrew, "The police are coming.  You are not going to get away with  this."

The police did not arrive until thirty-five minutes after the internationals called for help.

 The army has declared the path that runs beside the Ma'on settlement a closed military. The CPTers and Operation Dove members in Tuwani decided to accompany the school children from Tuwani to Tuba by another, longer route.

The Operation Dove member collapsed on his way to the ambulance that took him to the hospital in Beer Sheva; doctors treated him for a broken arm and ruled out internal injuries.