Settlers’ provocative march in Umm Al-Fahm triggers violent clashes

Settlers’ provocative march in Umm Al-Fahm triggers violent clashes

UMM AL-FAHM, Violent clashes broke out Wednesday morning between the Palestinian natives of Umm Al-Fahm city, inside the 1948 occupied lands, and Israeli policemen who protected dozens of extremist Jewish settlers holding a provocative protest against the Islamic Movement, which is headed by Sheikh Ra’ed Salah.

Israeli policemen fired stunt and tear gas grenades at the angry Palestinians who tried to confront the settlers, and physically attacked them which led to injuries and suffocation cases among the protesters including Arab Knesset member Hanin Zoabi.

The clashes erupted after more than 30 right-wing settlers traveled in buses from occupied Jerusalem to Umm al-Fahm this morning, led by far-right activists Baruch Marzel and Itamar Ben-Gvir, in order to hold a protest march calling for outlawing the Islamic Movement.

Eyewitness said that undercover agents who were throwing stones along with Umm Al-Fahm young men fired shots into the air to signal to the Israeli policemen to start their attack on the Palestinians. Those agents helped the policemen to arrest seven of the Palestinian protesters.

This provocative march was organized on the 20th anniversary of extrimist rabbi Meir Kahane, whose Kach party was banned from the cfor inciting racism.

Earlier before the arrival of the settler’s busses, eyewitness reported that more than 1, 500 Israeli policemen were deployed in Umm Al-Fahm and its environs to protect them after an Israeli court allowed them to march in the city.