Many teenagers around the country are still physically and emotionally bruised by the violent evacuation and destruction of nine homes in Amona, in the Binyamin region. A series of testimonies can be read here. More testimonies are included below.
Bruriah C., 18, a youth leader in Petach Tikvah:
"I can tell you that it hurts very much... We were standing outside the second house, when very suddenly, the police and their horses came charging into us. One horse jumped... and kicked me; I wanted to leave and walk away, and so did many others of us - but the police didn't let us. They just closed in on us and continued swinging their clubs and beating us...
"One of my girls [from Petach Tikvah] was grabbed by two policemen, and I tried to get her away from them. At that point, a Border Guard policewoman gave me a very hard clubbing on my head - it hurt terribly and I felt totally dizzy. I tried not to fall down... they gave me another blow and then I fell down, screaming out in pain. Somehow I got out, and an army medic treated me. I heard them saying that if there was a helicopter available, I should be evacuated to a hospital, but if not, then I should be the first one in an ambulance...
"At some point, I fainted; I know I wasn't breathing for a while, and they had me on a gas mask... In the hospital, I was lying down the whole time, but I kept seeing more and more of us coming in, bleeding terribly and with severe head wounds and the like - and at the same time, maybe five policemen were also brought in, with little scratches."
Asked how she views what happened in retrospect, Bruriah said,
"It is still totally shocking to me. They came with all their defensive shields and heavy equipment, and they still kept hitting us, with no mercy. I am still in shock... Next time, we have to be even stronger; if that's how they come at us, then we can't give in."
A-7: "But they are coming in the name of the law?"
Bruriah: "It's so obvious that this has nothing to do with law. They came with murder in their eyes. We begged that they should let us go away, but they didn't let us; they just kept beating us... This is really a pure example of [the words of Psalms], 'they come with chariots and horses, and we come in the name of G-d.'"
Yaakov L., 16, Beit El:
"We were on the roof of house number 7, and when the police came onto the roof, they just started hitting us with abandon. Even those who said they're willing to go - they got hit even more. It seemed that whoever opened his mouth got hit hard.
"As for me, I don't even remember if I said anything or not, all I know is that I never felt so much pain in my life. They smashed me all over, and especially on my head and arm. My arm was all blue and blown up; I was sure it was broken, but thank G-d it turned out that it was not. But they cracked my skull; I was taken to the hospital, and am walking around now with a big bandage all around. It hurts now only if I touch it..."
Click "play" below to watch a video of police brutality.
Click here if video does not appear
Click here to view video on alternative server - can be downloaded
For every ten policemen in Amona, the police sent one cameraman to film the events. The police are already working intensively to review the recordings in order to identify and arrest any youth seen throwing rocks or otherwise attacking policemen. Israel Television news reported, however, that the police declined to answer queries as to when they might be reviewing the tapes to identify policemen who used excessive force.
This Saturday night in Jerusalem (8:30 PM, Gold Hotel), several concerned groups will be holding an emergency session in light of the police brutality at Amona. The gathering of evidence such as photos, films and eyewitness accounts of violent policemen will be discussed and planned.
Also at issue will be the events leading up to the Amona destruction, as well as the double standard inherent in the overlooking of tens of thousands of Arab violations of the building code. The event will be coordinated by Honenu, Yesha Civil Rights Organization, and Merkaz Medini L'Yisrael.
Bruriah C., 18, a youth leader in Petach Tikvah:
"I can tell you that it hurts very much... We were standing outside the second house, when very suddenly, the police and their horses came charging into us. One horse jumped... and kicked me; I wanted to leave and walk away, and so did many others of us - but the police didn't let us. They just closed in on us and continued swinging their clubs and beating us...
"One of my girls [from Petach Tikvah] was grabbed by two policemen, and I tried to get her away from them. At that point, a Border Guard policewoman gave me a very hard clubbing on my head - it hurt terribly and I felt totally dizzy. I tried not to fall down... they gave me another blow and then I fell down, screaming out in pain. Somehow I got out, and an army medic treated me. I heard them saying that if there was a helicopter available, I should be evacuated to a hospital, but if not, then I should be the first one in an ambulance...
"At some point, I fainted; I know I wasn't breathing for a while, and they had me on a gas mask... In the hospital, I was lying down the whole time, but I kept seeing more and more of us coming in, bleeding terribly and with severe head wounds and the like - and at the same time, maybe five policemen were also brought in, with little scratches."
Asked how she views what happened in retrospect, Bruriah said,
"It is still totally shocking to me. They came with all their defensive shields and heavy equipment, and they still kept hitting us, with no mercy. I am still in shock... Next time, we have to be even stronger; if that's how they come at us, then we can't give in."
A-7: "But they are coming in the name of the law?"
Bruriah: "It's so obvious that this has nothing to do with law. They came with murder in their eyes. We begged that they should let us go away, but they didn't let us; they just kept beating us... This is really a pure example of [the words of Psalms], 'they come with chariots and horses, and we come in the name of G-d.'"
Yaakov L., 16, Beit El:
"We were on the roof of house number 7, and when the police came onto the roof, they just started hitting us with abandon. Even those who said they're willing to go - they got hit even more. It seemed that whoever opened his mouth got hit hard.
"As for me, I don't even remember if I said anything or not, all I know is that I never felt so much pain in my life. They smashed me all over, and especially on my head and arm. My arm was all blue and blown up; I was sure it was broken, but thank G-d it turned out that it was not. But they cracked my skull; I was taken to the hospital, and am walking around now with a big bandage all around. It hurts now only if I touch it..."
Click here if video does not appear
Click here to view video on alternative server - can be downloaded
For every ten policemen in Amona, the police sent one cameraman to film the events. The police are already working intensively to review the recordings in order to identify and arrest any youth seen throwing rocks or otherwise attacking policemen. Israel Television news reported, however, that the police declined to answer queries as to when they might be reviewing the tapes to identify policemen who used excessive force.
This Saturday night in Jerusalem (8:30 PM, Gold Hotel), several concerned groups will be holding an emergency session in light of the police brutality at Amona. The gathering of evidence such as photos, films and eyewitness accounts of violent policemen will be discussed and planned.
Also at issue will be the events leading up to the Amona destruction, as well as the double standard inherent in the overlooking of tens of thousands of Arab violations of the building code. The event will be coordinated by Honenu, Yesha Civil Rights Organization, and Merkaz Medini L'Yisrael.