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Israeli Army Rounds-up 85 in Beit UmmarTuesday 28 May 2002
author: By KR Kamphoefner
summary
Soldiers broke the arm of Tahreer Shauket al-Alami, 27, his father
reported. He also said many men were beaten as they were taken into
custody, while soldiers also allegedly broke the windows of some houses
they entered. A mentally handicapped man, Ahmed, was beaten during the
soldiers' round up. The doors of a house belonging to two brothers were
shot up. Soldiers broke out the glass doors of the refrigerator in the
Palestine Grocery store belonging to Khadir el-Mohsen el-Alami, age 62.
Beginning about ten o'clock Sunday night, the Israeli army went
door-to-door in Beit Ummar, ordering Palestinian men to report to the
checkpoint. Beit Ummar residents said a gas explosion had occurred
earlier
on Road 60, but they didn't know whether a Palestinian or an Israeli had
caused it.
The men were ordered to dress, put on their shoes, and bring their
jackets,
Sofian Abu-Ayyesh an aviation engineer, said. Eight-five men, ranging
in
age from 16 to 70, were reportedly detained all night.
"They told us, we will release you, if you tell us who set the
explosion,"
said Ayman Abu-Ayyesh, an architectural engineer. "We said, 'we don't
know
who did it. We were all in our bed asleep."
Soldiers broke the arm of Tahreer Shauket al-Alami, 27, his father
reported. He also said many men were beaten as they were taken into
custody, while soldiers also allegedly broke the windows of some houses
they entered. A mentally handicapped man, Ahmed, was beaten during the
soldiers' round up. The doors of a house belonging to two brothers were
shot up. Soldiers broke out the glass doors of the refrigerator in the
Palestine Grocery store belonging to Khadir el-Mohsen el-Alami, age 62.
When the women of the village approached to see the condition of their
husbands and fathers, the army tear-gassed them.
The men were required to sit on stony ground overnight, without food or
water. For three or four hours in a row, the men were required to sit
with
their knees folded under, hands on their necks, bending forward. They
were
ordered not to move or talk. When someone talked, he was kicked,
according
to Abu Ayyesh.
The Abu Ayyesh brothers said the army finally offered water in the
morning,
but in a very humiliating way. They brought in the water tank, but no
glasses, removed the top, and ordered the 85 men to drink. When they
refused, one solider fired his gun just two centimeters away from one
man's
head, Sofian Abu Ayyesh, said.
The Mayor of Beit Ummar, Rashid Awwad went Monday morning with some of
his
staff to negotiate the release of the village men. He was not permitted
to
sit, but rather was made to stand for three hours in the sun. He was
also
struck with a gun butt and kicked in the leg. He said, "What they are
doing is terrorism." Awwad represents the 13,000 residents of the Beit
Ummar area.
Ayman Abu-Ayyesh felt the worst thing about the experience was the
soldiers' insults. He said, "They spoke to us like we were insects."
He
said only two of the soldiers were polite, but the others "dealt with us
in
a very ugly way," said Ayman Abu Ayyesh. "I think that is not the way
to
deal with human beings. We are not animals. They were very awful, very
nasty. There aren't enough words to express how disrespectful they
werethey were not dealing with us in a civilized way."
"Peace comes from minds and hearts," said Sofian Abu Ayyesh, "but they
think peace comes from a gun."