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