Sources in the Jewish Community of Hevron report what they call a \"very grave,\" two-pronged incident with the police today. Armed with an arrest warrant for a Jewish youth in Hevron in connection with another incident that occurred a number of weeks ago, two plainclothes detectives burst into an elementary-school age day camp room in pursuit of their target. The police deny that the agents\' guns were drawn, but several witnesses say that the guns were in fact drawn and that the camp children were panic-stricken at the sight. One of the counselors later said that he thought they were chasing a terrorist. Spokeswoman Orit Strook said, \"When the police finally jumped on the youth, the counselors thought they had caught the terrorist. The counselors were almost ready to shoot; can you imagine if they would have shot the police or the youth?\" She then continued, \"As I am talking to you [five hours after the incident], I have received word that the youth has already been released. You can see how \'serious\' the charges against him were...\"
As the above was going on, an 11-year-old boy was taken to the hospital after he said that a police car - one of those that had come on the arrest mission - had run over his foot. The boy claimed, incredulously, that the police car remained on his foot even after he screamed in pain to the driver. \"He clearly saw me, because I was screaming and crying,\" the boy told Arutz-7, \"but he just said, Good, good. Only when they brought out the youth [under arrest] did he speed off.\" The boy\'s foot was x-rayed and found to be unhurt. Police sources said that this incident is under investigation.
Relations between the Jews and police in Hevron have long been strained. The police say that the residents turned down an offer of a joint \"day of fun\" sponsored by the police in an amusement park, and that they refuse to cooperate when called to give testimony. Jewish Community spokesman David Wilder counters that the \"day of fun\" offer is like \"giving a band-aid to a cancer patient; the children are scared stiff of the police, and we\'re going to send them on a \'day of fun\' with them?! My wife saw a 5-year-old child go to her school bus, and then come right back crying. When she asked what had happened, the girl sobbed, \'I saw a policeman there!\'\" His colleague Orit Strook admitted that the residents do not respond to police summons to give testimony; she insists that the only thing that will bring peace will be the \"cancellation of the special procedures employed against the Jewish residents of Hevron. These procedures include the filing of charges against them even not in their presence, the involvement of the GSS in every single case, and much more.\"
Col. Moshe Givati, who is acting on behalf of the Public Security Ministry to try to restore trust between the police and the residents, plans to spend tomorrow in Hevron in order to investigate today\'s incidents.
As the above was going on, an 11-year-old boy was taken to the hospital after he said that a police car - one of those that had come on the arrest mission - had run over his foot. The boy claimed, incredulously, that the police car remained on his foot even after he screamed in pain to the driver. \"He clearly saw me, because I was screaming and crying,\" the boy told Arutz-7, \"but he just said, Good, good. Only when they brought out the youth [under arrest] did he speed off.\" The boy\'s foot was x-rayed and found to be unhurt. Police sources said that this incident is under investigation.
Relations between the Jews and police in Hevron have long been strained. The police say that the residents turned down an offer of a joint \"day of fun\" sponsored by the police in an amusement park, and that they refuse to cooperate when called to give testimony. Jewish Community spokesman David Wilder counters that the \"day of fun\" offer is like \"giving a band-aid to a cancer patient; the children are scared stiff of the police, and we\'re going to send them on a \'day of fun\' with them?! My wife saw a 5-year-old child go to her school bus, and then come right back crying. When she asked what had happened, the girl sobbed, \'I saw a policeman there!\'\" His colleague Orit Strook admitted that the residents do not respond to police summons to give testimony; she insists that the only thing that will bring peace will be the \"cancellation of the special procedures employed against the Jewish residents of Hevron. These procedures include the filing of charges against them even not in their presence, the involvement of the GSS in every single case, and much more.\"
Col. Moshe Givati, who is acting on behalf of the Public Security Ministry to try to restore trust between the police and the residents, plans to spend tomorrow in Hevron in order to investigate today\'s incidents.