European Union condemns settler 'acts of brutality' against Palestinians

The European Union on Friday issued a harsh condemnation of settler violence against Palestinians after a recent upsurge in clashes in the West Bank. "The European Union once again condemns in the strongest possible terms the acts of violence and brutality committed against Palestinian civilians by Israeli settlers in the West Bank," the EU presidency said. The censure came after a series of violent clashes between settlers, Palestinians and the Israel Defense Forces during the current olive harvest. The EU statement continued: "The European Union would point out that it is up to the Israeli government, which has itself condemned these acts, to take the necessary measures to stop them immediately, in accordance with its international obligations," it said. Earlier Friday, right-wing activists rebuilt structures razed overnight by security forces at the Federman Farm outpost in the West bank. Israeli security forces had overnight evacuated the illegal outpost, near the town of Kiryat Arba in the West Bank. This was the second evacuation of the settlement in less than a week. Four policemen were lightly injured during the clashes that erupted during the avacuation. Reuters television footage also showed settlers throwing stones at Palestinian photographers on the scene. Half a dozen settlers masking their faces with scarves hurled rocks at several Palestinian photographers at the scene, striking Hazem Bader, of the French AFP news agency in the head, wounding him. Israel Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld confirmed that officers had been injured but said he could comment on the alleged assault of the journalist once an official complaint was filed. Dov Lior, the chief rabbi of Kiryat Arba, later Friday compared the razing of the outpost to Holocaust-era atrocities. "The operations of the expulsion forces at Federman Farm recall what happened to my family in Poland, when they were forced from their homes in the middle of the night, without reason, without mercy and because they were Jews," he said. Settlers blame police for clashes The settlers blamed the officers for inciting violence over the course of the evacuation. Three settlers were detained for questioning following the clashes. IDF troops, Border Police and Israel Police officers had evacuated the Federman Farm outpost on Saturday evening. The outpost had been home to the family of Noam Federman, a former leader in the outlawed Kach movement, and his family, for about two years. Sinai Tor, a musician well-known in settler circles, had also taken up residence there. The local settler community had struck a "price tag" policy, which called for damaging IDF and Palestinian property in response to the weekend evacuation. Earlier this week, Attorney General Menachem Mazuz called for an incitement investigation against right -wing activists, after rioting by settlers in the West Bank that included desecrating headstones at a Muslim cemetery between Hebron and Kiryat Arba and damaging more than 80 Palestinian vehicles. During the rioting, settlers hurled abuse at security forces personnel and called for a "revenge attack" in response to the evacuation of Federman Farm. Federman himself was arrested on Saturday night on suspicion of assaulting a police officer and obstructing police from carrying out their duty. He was released from police custody on Monday, when the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court slammed the police for having insufficient evidence. Police said he forcibly resisted arrest, kicking and hitting police officers, though an accusation that he broke a police officer's leg proved false. Federman's lawyer, Ariel Atari, said he plans to file a complaint with the police investigation department against the police officers involved in the incident. During the rioting of the initial evacuation last week, a number of settlers were arrested for attacking a police officer, and two women were arrested after they attempted to torch a police car. Settlers also smashed windows and punctured the tires of more than 80 Palestinian vehicles and caused damage worth an estimated hundreds of thousands of shekels to the security fence surrounding Kiryat Arba. Two police cars were also damaged during the altercations.