SETTLER VIOLENCE ESCALATES AGAINST BURIN

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 001368

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/PASCUAL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/29/2018
TAGS: PREL KPAL KWBG IS
SUBJECT: SETTLER VIOLENCE ESCALATES AGAINST BURIN

REF: A. JERUSALEM 1165

B. JERUSALEM 1055

Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. Following several reports of settler
violence directed against the Palestinian village of Burin,
south of Nablus, PolOffs visited the village July 28 and met
with Mayor Ali Eid, village council members and residents
whose homes and fields were damaged by settlers' attacks. In
the latest of several attacks in recent weeks, a house was
severely damaged by fire and smoke July 28 after settlers
threw a Molotov cocktail through a window. End summary.

Fire Caused by Molotov Cocktail Guts House
--------------


2. (C) During a July 28 visit to Burin, Mayor Ali Eid told
PolOffs that a Molotov cocktail was thrown through the window
of the house of Said Mahmoud al-Najar. PolOffs visited the
house and observed that fire had engulfed the crib of
al-Najar's two-year old daughter and severely damaged the
two-room house, which is the closest house to the Har Bracha
settlement. The family was not home during the attack. The
Mayor commented that this was the first time a house had been
burned by settlers and represents an escalation in violence.
(Note: Photos of the house are available on the Consulate's
classified website at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/jerusalem/ind ex.cfm under the
link to Political Reporting Attachments. End note.)


3. (C) Villagers told PolOffs that on July 24 settlers had
burned three electrical and telephone poles adjacent to a
road running south of the village causing a five hour power
outage in the village. PolOffs visited one of two houses
across the road from the electrical poles and heard from the
owner that settlers had poisoned several of his sheep July 25
and returned July 28 in an attempt to steal livestock that he
had previously moved. Burin villagers told PolOffs that in
recent years they have documented over 300 cases of
harassment and violence by settlers from nearby Yitzhar and
Har Bracha settlements.


4. (C) This incident follows several others against Burin.
Per reftels, Yitzhar settlers damaged fields in several
adjacent villages, destroying olive trees belonging to Burin
June 19; a crude rocket was fired (likely from Yitzhar
settlement) in the direction of Burin June 20; and two
rockets fired (likely from Har Bracha) landed approximately
150 meters from a house causing no damage on July 1. PolOffs
observed severe damage to trees and fields on their July 28
visit.


5. (C) Residents criticized GOI response to settler violence
as inadequate. They said the attacks are usually perpetrated
by the same 35-40 extremists, some of whom they can identify,
but there has been no follow-up by Israeli authorities.

WALLES