Text Of Inciting PA Article On Church Of Annunciation Incident

2006-03-04

[IMRA: When the PA website ran this inciting item they already knew that Habibi and his Christian wife were nut cases seeking publicity because social services took custody of their children. Rather than "extremist Jews" this couple has a history with the PA (see article below).]

Extremist Jews Attack Nazareth's Church of Annunciation with Grenades

www.ipc.gov.ps/ ipc_new/english/ details.asp?name=14141

GAZA, March 4, 2006 (IPC + Agencies) [Official PA website]- - A group of terrorist Jewish extremists attacked on Friday the Church of Annunciation in the city of Nazareth with gas and stun grenades, hurting many Christians inside who were attending a mass, as Israeli police also threw gas and stun grenades on thousands of protestors who gathered to denounce the act.

Sources at the Israeli police said that three extremist Jews (two women and a man) entered the Church of Annunciation after disguising as Christian worshippers, peddling a baby cart filled with gas grenades and firecrackers, during a mass that was being held inside the church.

The extremists then threw the firecrackers on the gas canisters, causing a huge explosion that shook the entire church and surrounding area, and spreading shock among the worshippers, who fled in panic.

Thousands of Nazareth's residents gathered outside the church and attacked the extremists in anger, but massive numbers of Israeli police and the so-called "border guard" interfered and detained them in a small room within the church. The police then threw tear gas canisters and stun grenades to disperse the angry crowd, injuring some of them.

Meanwhile, sources within the police identified the perpetrators as Haim Eliaho Habibi, an extremist rightist Jew who attempted to attack several Christian holy sites last year, along with his wife and daughter. He threatened two years ago to commit a suicide bombing inside the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem.

Habibi was interrogated by police last week, and was released despite his previous attempts.

In response to this attack, Arab member of the Israeli Knesset Dr. Azmi Beshara said, "it is unclear whether this crime is based on a religious or racist background, because it's the same in Israel, and we don't find it strange that such phenomena break out due to the racist culture in this country."

Also, Knesset member Mohammed Barakeh condemned this attack, and added that extremist Jewish gangs have always sought to add fuel on the burning Palestinian scene in Israel, by perpetrating criminal and terrorist attacks, as with Shafa Amre massacre last summer.

"This gang desecrated the sanctity of the church and perpetrated its actions amidst the worshippers. They are but individuals in a larger gang that is on the loose by the government, which is dealing with them using silk gloves," MK Barakeh further mentioned in a press statement.

On its part, the Islamic Movement in the 1948 territories denounced the attack on the Church of Annunciation, calling on the Palestinian people, Christians and Muslims, to unite in the face of those who attempt to attack religious places and properties.

The movement reiterated its call to form voluntary civil patrols to protect civilians' lives and properties, considering this attack part of a series of the Jewish attacks that targeted the Mamanallah Cemetery in Jerusalem, the Islamic Cemetery in Tiberius and the Red Mosque in Safad.

Also, the official spokesman of the Orthodox Church in the Holy Land, Patriarch Atallah Hanna, vehemently condemned what he called "the terrorist fascist attack that was carried out by an extremist racist Jewish gang against the Church of Annunciation."

Patriarch Hanna added that this attack against one of the most important church in the Palestinian territories indicates that Palestinians are targeted in their holy sites, lands and identity.

As well, the Supreme Shariaa Judge in Palestine, Sheikh Tayseer Al Tamimi, denounced the attack and asserted that extremist Jews don't distinguish between Islamic and Christian holy sites when they attack, warning of the consequences of the constant attacks on holy sites by these terrorist groups.

In the same context, Fateh movement also denounced the Israeli crime, and held the Israeli government fully responsible for its consequences. The spokesman of Fateh, Ahmad Abdul Rahman, added that Israel must apprehend the perpetrators and their accomplices, who plot in broad daylight against Islamic and Christian holy sites.

"We call on the international community to provide protection for Islamic and Christian holy sites in Palestine, in the face of all this Jewish fanaticism and terrorism, which would turn the entire situation into a tinderbox."

Additionally, Hamas movement condemned the attack, and held the Israeli occupation authorities fully responsible, and called to face the Israeli plots aiming to destroy holy sites and places of worship.

The Islamic Jihad movement also maintained that this attack is a continued effort in the campaign to defame Islam and its prophet, and calls upon everyone to show more responsibility towards these crimes.

Israeli family asks for "political asylum" in West Bank

www.bma-alqods.org/ englishsite/news0014.htm

RAMALLAH, West Bank, 24 AUGUST 1999 (TUESDAY) - An Israeli family of five has asked for political asylum from the Palestinian Authority of Yasser Arafat, a member of the Palestinian parliament said Tuesday.

Haim Habibi, 38, his wife Violetta, 33, and their three children aged six, 10 and 13, who come from Jerusalem, appealed to Palestinian deputy Hatem Abdel Qader Monday for "protection and political asylum."

"I said 'yes' straight away as far as protection went," Abdel Qader told AFP.

"As for political asylum, I referred the matter to Abu Ammar (Arafat), who ... told me to put them in a hotel until his return," he added. Arafat has been in Cairo and Riyadh, and was due home late Tuesday.

Habibi, an unemployed Kurdish Jew, who is currently staying in a hotel in Ramallah, said he had done what he did because he was being harassed by the Israeli authorities.

"We are always being persecuted by the authorities, especially the social services, who want to take our children away from us," he told AFP.

"They claim we are incapable of bringing them up and want to take them away and send them to institutions," he added.

"Mr Abdel Qader was very kind to us, much better than anyone in Israel. He put us into a hotel so that no harm should come to us," he said.

"If our request for political asylum is turned down, we shall go to Germany. In any case, we will never return to Israel, where there is no justice," he said.

In September 1997 a group of 13 Israelis spent nearly a month in the Palestinian city of Jericho, after complaining of discrimination. However, they finally returned to Israel.

Source: IMRA – Independent Media Review and Analysis