Israeli Arabs in protest against 2000 killings
Reuters
Date: 09-27-05
JERUSALEM, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Six Israeli Arab lawmakers launched a protest on Tuesday against Israel's decision not to prosecute any police who killed 13 Arabs in pro-Palestinian demonstrations held in 2000.
Interviewed by telephone from a tent pitched outside Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's office, lawmaker Ahmed Tibi said the protesters, marking the fifth anniversary of the killings, would drink only water for five days.
"This is an outcry against Israeli racism," Tibi said.
"We will continue the hunger strike until Oct. 1 then we will move on to other forms of protest ... our protests will continue until the criminals are brought to justice."
An Israeli Justice Ministry inquiry published on Sept. 18 found a lack of evidence to prosecute any police officers for the shootings aimed at quelling protests in northern Israel.
The Israeli probe had looked into the killings by police dispersing protests in Israeli Arab towns and on some highways that erupted days after the outbreak of a Palestinian uprising.
In all cases it found either a lack of evidence or could not locate police officers suspected in the shootings, which were criticised by a previous Israeli inquiry published in 2003.
A Jewish motorist died from a rock thrown at his car and several police were injured in the demonstrations. None of the protesters were found to have used firearms.
Israeli Arabs, who are a fifth of Israel's population, often complain of discrimination and largely sympathise with the Palestinian quest for statehood in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Most are descended from Palestinians who remained after Israel was created in 1948 instead of joining kin displaced in the ensuing Arab-Israeli war.
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