Adalah Submits TV Footage and Newspaper Articles to the Commission Challenging Testimonies by Police Officers and Government Officials
On 19 February 2002, Adalah submitted new materials to the official Commission of Inquiry into the October 2000 protest demonstrations ("the Commission"). Adalah submitted television footage and newspaper articles which appeared during the protest demonstrations. These materials reveal both the excessive use of force by Israeli security officers, including the use of live ammunition and snipers, and the violent behavior of rioting Jewish Israelis against Palestinian citizens in October 2000. In particular, these materials raise serious doubts concerning the testimony of several high-ranking Israeli government officials and security officers, many of whom testified that they were unaware of the use of live ammunition and snipers by Israeli police prior to the beginning of the Commission's work.
The former government established the Commission on 8 November 2000, in accordance with the Commissions of Inquiry Law (1968), inter alia, to "investigate the clashes, which involved police and Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel" in October 2000. On 28 September 2000, Likud party leader and Member of Knesset (MK) Ariel Sharon toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. The next day, seven Palestinian worshippers were killed during demonstrations after the evening prayer in the compound. On 30 September 2000, Israeli security forces killed and injured tens of Palestinian worshippers and demonstrators throughout the Occupied Territories in clashes. Following these events, Palestinians citizens in Israel demonstrated in protest against the government's policies in massive numbers from 1-3 October 2000 in Palestinian towns and villages throughout the country. During these protest demonstrations, 11 Palestinian citizens died from live ammunition and rubber-coated bullets fired by Israeli police officers and snipers. On 8 October 2000, another two Palestinian citizens died in Nazareth following an attack by a mob of Jewish Israelis from Natserat Illit; police officers opened fire on the Palestinians while avoiding confrontation with the Jewish rioters.
Adalah's submission included the following clips from Israeli television, Channel One:
- 29 September 2000: An interview with Yehuda Vilk, Police Chief at the time, in which he mentions the use of snipers in dispersing the demonstrators in the Haram al-Sharif compound on Friday after evening prayers.
- 29 September 2000: An interview with the Minister of Internal Security at that time, Shlomo Ben Ami, in which he stated that Ariel Sharon's visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound led directly to the deterioration of the situation.
- 2 October 2000: A report about Umm al-Fahem by reporter Majdi Halabi broadcast on the evening news, in which he mentions, "Alik Ron, Commander of the Northern District, who was present at all time in the Umm al-Fahem region, ordered the use of snipers …".
- 4 October 2000: Live footage broadcast on the evening news, showing police officers beating Dr. Nisreen Asili in Nazareth.
- 10 October 2000: A report broadcast on the evening news, which revealed that Israeli Jewish mobs had attempted to attack Palestinian citizens across the country, blocked roads and assaulted police officers with stones and Molotov cocktails while shouting "Death to Arabs".
- 10 October 2000: A report broadcast on the evening news detailing a campaign launched by the Israeli police and Minister Shlomo Ben Ami for the local and foreign media in support of the conduct of the police.
Newspaper articles submitted by Adalah included the following:
- 2 October 2000: An article revealing the use of live ammunition against demonstrators in Umm al-Fahem (Ha'aretz: page A3, Sharon Gal, David Ratner, and Itim News Agency).
- 3 October 2000: Two articles mentioning the use of live ammunition and snipers against demonstrators in Umm al-Fahem (Ha'aretz: page A3, Sharon Gal, Ori Nir, and David Ratner; Yediot Ahronot: page 4, Israel Moskavich, Fayez Abbas, Goel Bano).
- 4 October 2000: An ad placed by the High Follow-up Committee for the Arab Citizens in Israel entitled "Stop Shooting at Citizens" (Ha'aretz, page A4).
- 6 October 2000: An article by Ori Nir concerning the use of live ammunition and snipers in Umm al-Fahem on 1-2 October 2000 (Ha'aretz: page B3).
- 10 October 2000: An ad placed by Adalah entitled "Pogrom," which referred specifically to the use of live ammunition and snipers against Palestinian citizens of Israel
