News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) Protesters at the Peace House in Kiryat Arba-Hevron threw stones at a police van Wednesday night and vandalized an Arab cemetery and mosque, according to Voice of Israel government radio. Hundreds of supporters of a Jewish presence at the Peace House have arrived this week to support the residents' right to remain in the face of a court expulsion order.

Nationalist leaders and rabbis told more than 1,000 supporters Tuesday night that they would not initiate violence in defending the building against police, who have brutally attacked nationalists in previous expulsions. However, one Hevron spokesman said he may not be able to control extremists who come from the outside.

Previous incidents have prompted charges that the troublemakers were provocateurs planted by the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) in order to create a negative image against nationalists.