Settler’s death proves report unfair—Shamir

Press, 10 February 1989, Page 6

Settler’s death proves report unfair—Shamir

NZPA-Reuter Jerusalem The Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak Shamir, said the death of a Jewish settler, burned alive in his vehicle in the occupied West Bank, proved that a United States report accusing Israel of human-rights abuses was unbalanced. Four Palestinians died from Army gunfire, one of them in a prison riot, yesterday amid the renewed controversy over Israel’s use of force in trying to put down a 14month Arab revolt. The death toll was the highest in a single day since December. Jewish settlers blamed the Army for the death of Albert Jerasi, aged 38, near his settlement of Alfei Menashe and called on Defence Minister, Yitzhak Rabin, to resign.

Military sources initially reported that Mr Jerasi was burned to death when Palestinians hurled a petrol bomb at his vehicle but later said the cause of the fire was unclear.

Troops found no signs of a firebomb or broken glass in the area. They combed the area for Palestinian suspects, imposed curfews on three nearby Arab villages aud prevented settlers from going on a rampage in the Palestinian town of Kalkilya.

The United States State Department, in its annual report on human rights, accused Israel of Increasing violations of Palestinians’ rights in the occupied territories and said many of the Arabs who were killed in the revolt were shot unnecessarily.