Death for selling to Jews
Palestinians who sell their property to Jews are committing a crime punishable by the death penalty, the Palestinian Authority warned. The warning about the long-standing fatwa, or religious decree, against selling property to Jews was issued after reports that American Jewish businessmen had purchased several acres of land on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem from its Palestinian owners. The PA’s chief Islamic judge, Sheik Tayseer Rajab Tamimi, issued the warning, saying it also applies to real estate agents and landlords who rent to Jews. The punishment also includes being ostracized by community and family. Tamimi reportedly said that the ban is in place to prevent Israeli officials from taking control of Arab land in Jerusalem.
Palestinian kills Israeli boy
An axe-wielding Palestinian worker killed an Israeli boy and injured another in Bat Ayn. The worker began attacking the boys, aged 13 and 7, as he ran with the axe through the community of Bat Ayin, located in the Etzion bloc south of Jerusalem last week. Shlomo Nativ, the teenager, died of his injuries. The younger victim was seriously injured.
The assailant struggled with a passer-by and was shot by one of the community’s security guards before fleeing, Ha’aretz reported. There is no security fence around the community, apparently for ideological reasons. Israeli security services were searching the area for the assailant and checking to see if he had any accomplices. Both Islamic Jihad and the Martyrs of Imad Muginyeh claimed responsibility for the attack. Hamas called the attack a “natural reaction” to the “occupation,” a spokesperson said. Government spokesperson Mark Regev condemned the attack as a “senseless act of brutality against innocents.”
S. African heads Gaza inquiry
Judge Richard Goldstone of South Africa, a trustee of Hebrew University, will head the commission appointed by the United Nation’s Human Rights Council. Israel did not say whether it will co-operate. It has in the past ignored other UNHRC probes, noting the body’s tendency to single out Israel for criticism while ignoring other major violators. Goldstone, who headed war crimes prosecutions in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, said he would investigate alleged war crimes by both sides. “It’s in the interest of the victims,” Goldstone said in Geneva, where the UNHRC is headquartered. He said his Jewishness and ties to Israel were added values. “I believe I can approach the daunting task that I have accepted in an evenhanded and impartial manner,” he said. Joining him on the commission are Christine Chinkin, a British professor of international law; Pakistani lawyer Hina Jilani, and retired Irish Army Col. Desmond Travers.
Police question Lieberman
Israel’s new foreign minister was interrogated last Thursday and Friday by police just two days after his swearing-in. The Yisrael Beiteinu leader was grilled over suspicions of bribery, money laundering, fraudulent receipt of goods and breach of public trust. “Lieberman answered all of the questions put to him, and will answer any future questions,” Yaron Kostelich, the foreign minister’s lawyer, told the Jerusalem Post. The interrogation was conducted by detectives from the national fraud and anti-organized crime units. Police said the interrogation had been co-ordinated several days in advance, and that the questioning would resume at a future date. Lieberman is suspected of using a Cypriot bank account registered under the name of his daughter, Michal, to launder millions of shekels in funds.
– Files from JTA