At 6:30pm, a group of settlers, after prayer at the near-by Synagogue, attempted to trespass on Palestinian land in order to reach certain caves owned by the Abu-Jibneha family. This was the second incident of trespassing by the settlers of the day. When they reached the entrance to the caves, they began to tear down a fence erected by the Palestinian family to protect the property. Wahiba Abu-Jibneha left her house in order to photograph the incident for the police. She was subsequently attacked, and forced to the ground. One settler then proceeded to crush her left leg with a large rock, just below the knee. Her husband, hearing the commotion, confronted the settlers whom then threatened his life with a fire-arm. Wahiba is currently in hospital.
The Israeli police were telephoned by the family, but they advised the husband to allow the settlers to pray. When the police finally arrived, the settlers dispersed without being identified or reported. According to the family and local Palestinian residents, this is a common police reaction.
The so-called “contested” property has been under the ownership of the Abu-Jibneha family for over 400 years. In 2000, the Israeli Nahlat Shimon Committee, which deals with settler issues, initiated a court case disputing the property rights of the Palestinian owners. The case closed in December 2008, with victory to the Abu-Jibneha family. However, the settlers in the area continue to claim the caves as Jewish holy sites, and have conducted a number of confrontations on the family’s land since the case’s closure.
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