ULTRA-right Jewish gangs have extended their attacks on the Arab population of the West Bank.
On Monday, bombs planted in the cars of two prominent Palestinians seriously mutilated Karim Khalef, the mayor of Ramallah, and Bassam Sharak, mayor of Nalus. An Israeli-made hand grenade hurled at shoppers in Hebron seriously injured several Arabs. ¡ These attacks come at a time of heightening tension on the West Bank, which has been occupied by Israel since the war in June 1967. Since then the Zionists have pressed ahead with their aim of establishing Jewish. settlements in the occupied area and of forcibly taking over Arab land.
To date, 15,000 colonists have established 92. settlements on the West Bank and almost a third of its 2,200 square miles have been expropriated by the Israeli This expansionist policy has met with fierce resistance from the local Arab population. Street demonstrations, strikes, and boycotts have been a regular feature of this campaign.
The Israeli government's response has been one of brutal repression, including the imposition of massive fines, forced evacuation, random detention, torțure, the shooting of unarmed demonstrators, and the demolition of Arab homes and stores.
Not satisfied with the progress made by the Israeli authorities, ultra-right groups like Rabbi Kahane's Kach movement, which is associated with the nationalists' movement, Gush Emunim, have taken to the streets. • Rampage Their proclaimed aim is simple — to drive the 950,000 Palestinian Arabs out of the West Bank and to reclaim for Israel the areas of Judea and Samaria referred to as 'Bibilical Israel'.
Members of existing settlements on the West Bank have taken to organising armed mobs who rampage through Arab towns in the area. It was an attack of this kind in Ramallah in April which led to the latest upsurge in the struggle.
Six young Jews in Hebron were shot on 2 May while they were '...walking to Sabbath prayers in Hebron', according to the Sunday Times. In fact there are no synagogues in Hebron and it has since been established that among the group was Eli Hazeey, a supporter of Kach and a former United States army sniper in Vietnam. He tells his friends the 'only good Arab is a dead The violent rampages of these gangs is only an extension of the violence of the Israeli state itself. Israeli troops stationed on the West Bank have failed to intervene when notified of these attacks. Two soldiers were recently detained in Jerusalem when it was discovered that they had amassed a private cache of arms.
Muhammed Milhelm, the mayor of Halhoul who was arbitrarily expelled from the West Bank after the 2 May events, says that the Israeli extremists 'have all the sympathy and support of the Israeli government':
Socialists have to support the just struggle of the Palestinian masses against the forceful occupation of their homelands. We should demand the immediate revocation of the expulsions of the mayor of Halhoul and the mayor and Qade of Hebron.
Protest messages and demands for their right to return to their homes should be sent to Mr Menachem Begin, Prime Minister, Tel-Aviv, Israel. Copies to the National Association of Palestinian Groups, c/o 5 Caledonian Road, London N1.
Detered with the Post Office al per St, London N1. Printed ba e