The two-day march began Sunday morning when some dozen women set off from the center of Netanya to two northern Samarian communities slated to be dismantled this summer under the disengagement plan. The march was to be a successor to last week's two-day peaceful walk from Sderot in the Negev to Gush Katif.
The organizers said the marches are not political demonstrations. "We didn't ask for a permit because we simply were hiking," explained Penina Moati, a resident of the established Shomron community Elkanah, east of Tel Aviv. But she reacted with shock at what she said was unjustified police brutality against people who had not committed any offense.
At one point, police met the women and told them they could not walk together without a permit. The women began to disperse. At that point, Haifa resident Dr. Shai Gross, an MDA doctor, arrived on the scene, and heard a policeman insult one of the women. Dr. Gross criticized the policemen, and was promptly assaulted and arrested by four policemen, Moati said. In addition, she said, the police threw his three teenage daughters to the ground.
Another woman, Esther Eliezer of Netanya, said that when she went to the police station to testify in the doctor's behalf, a policeman threatened to arrest her if she didn't leave immediately. The police also said they would arrest all of the women if they continue their walk this morning - which the women said they would do.
At the a police officer immediately stopped them and took the organizer, Ruthie Ben Chaim, to the police station for investigation and possibly to receive a permit. Moati said he insisted everything would be OK. By now, the number of women had grown to about 30.
"We continued walking," Moati said, "but we kept a distance between each group so it would not look like a demonstration. We got to the Kfar HaRoeh intersection around 3:30 PM and stopped at the intersection so drivers would see us. We were on the island and did not block traffic."
"After an hour or an hour and a half," she continued, "a police vehicle came. The officer who had told us that everything would be OK now said we had to disperse. By that time, we were only about 12 women - and then Dr. Gross arrived. The police told us to disperse, and he asked the police for identification as we walked away."
"Suddenly a policeman called one of the woman 'stupid.' Dr. Gross criticized the policeman for using such language. The police then claimed several women had crossed the street against a red light and had no permit. As they threatened to arrest one of the women, Dr. Gross shouted at them. Four policemen jumped on him and beat him terribly. The more he resisted, the more they beat him. He had not done anything wrong, but they forced him into a paddywagon while his three teen age girls were shouting and crying. The police threw them mercilessly on the ground and took him away."
Moati said the women stayed at residents' houses at Kfar HaRoeh, where the teenagers' grandparents also live.
"The police said if we set foot on the road tomorrow, they will arrest us. We intend to continue to walk," she stated.
At 6 PM today (Monday), the police halted the women as they reached the Arab-populated town of Baka Al-Sharkiya, which is essentially the Palestinian Authority half of the Israeli-Arab Baka Al-Gharbiya. The police demanded that the marchers board an armored bus to take them a roundabout way to northern Samaria, rather than directly through Baka Al-Sharkiya. The police stated "concern for Arab sensitivities" by way of explanation. As of this report, the marchers have refused to board the buses.
The organizers said the marches are not political demonstrations. "We didn't ask for a permit because we simply were hiking," explained Penina Moati, a resident of the established Shomron community Elkanah, east of Tel Aviv. But she reacted with shock at what she said was unjustified police brutality against people who had not committed any offense.
At one point, police met the women and told them they could not walk together without a permit. The women began to disperse. At that point, Haifa resident Dr. Shai Gross, an MDA doctor, arrived on the scene, and heard a policeman insult one of the women. Dr. Gross criticized the policemen, and was promptly assaulted and arrested by four policemen, Moati said. In addition, she said, the police threw his three teenage daughters to the ground.
Another woman, Esther Eliezer of Netanya, said that when she went to the police station to testify in the doctor's behalf, a policeman threatened to arrest her if she didn't leave immediately. The police also said they would arrest all of the women if they continue their walk this morning - which the women said they would do.
At the a police officer immediately stopped them and took the organizer, Ruthie Ben Chaim, to the police station for investigation and possibly to receive a permit. Moati said he insisted everything would be OK. By now, the number of women had grown to about 30.
"We continued walking," Moati said, "but we kept a distance between each group so it would not look like a demonstration. We got to the Kfar HaRoeh intersection around 3:30 PM and stopped at the intersection so drivers would see us. We were on the island and did not block traffic."
"After an hour or an hour and a half," she continued, "a police vehicle came. The officer who had told us that everything would be OK now said we had to disperse. By that time, we were only about 12 women - and then Dr. Gross arrived. The police told us to disperse, and he asked the police for identification as we walked away."
"Suddenly a policeman called one of the woman 'stupid.' Dr. Gross criticized the policeman for using such language. The police then claimed several women had crossed the street against a red light and had no permit. As they threatened to arrest one of the women, Dr. Gross shouted at them. Four policemen jumped on him and beat him terribly. The more he resisted, the more they beat him. He had not done anything wrong, but they forced him into a paddywagon while his three teen age girls were shouting and crying. The police threw them mercilessly on the ground and took him away."
Moati said the women stayed at residents' houses at Kfar HaRoeh, where the teenagers' grandparents also live.
"The police said if we set foot on the road tomorrow, they will arrest us. We intend to continue to walk," she stated.
At 6 PM today (Monday), the police halted the women as they reached the Arab-populated town of Baka Al-Sharkiya, which is essentially the Palestinian Authority half of the Israeli-Arab Baka Al-Gharbiya. The police demanded that the marchers board an armored bus to take them a roundabout way to northern Samaria, rather than directly through Baka Al-Sharkiya. The police stated "concern for Arab sensitivities" by way of explanation. As of this report, the marchers have refused to board the buses.