Palestinians Accuse Israeli Security of Making Them Choose Which Limb Will Be Broken

Palestinians Accuse Israeli Security of Making Them Choose Which Limb Will Be Broken
By Nasser Shiyoukhi
Associated Press Writer

HEBRON, West Bank (AP) - Israeli border police operating in the West Bank city of Hebron have forced Palestinians they detained to choose whether to have a nose, arm or leg broken in a sort of "lottery," Palestinians said Sunday.
The police investigative unit of the Israeli Justice Ministry is reviewing the complaints and may open an investigation, said ministry spokesman Jacob Galanti.

Israel's army spokesman said it did not know of specific cases of such beatings but was looking into the charges.

While Palestinians often accuse Israeli security forces of beating them, Palestinian doctors and security officials in Hebron said such incidents increased after an attack on Nov. 11 in which Palestinian militants ambushed Israeli security forces, killing 12. Palestinians said they were often beaten when they were caught violating an Israeli curfew.

A day after the fatal attack, Israeli troops moved into the Palestinian-controlled section of the city and imposed the curfew throughout the city.

In one recent case, a Palestinian was caught during a curfew walking home from a relative's house.

"When they stopped us they were really angry and you could see the fire in their eyes and they were tough," Rujdi al-Jamal told The Associated Press.

The border policemen forced the Palestinians to choose which part of their bodies they wanted broken; the nose, an arm or a leg, Jamal said. Or they could choose to be shot, Jamal said the policemen told them.

Jamal choose his hand, and the policemen broke it with a rifle butt, he said.

Another Palestinian told the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot that border policemen detained him and four friends and took them to a Jewish settlement in the city. The security forces prepared pieces of paper for what they called a "lottery" to decide which parts of the Palestinians' bodies would be broken, or the detainees could decide themselves, the unnamed Palestinian told the daily.

"I chose the nose because nothing hurts as much as a broken arm or broken leg," the student of Islamic studies told the paper.

Another Palestinian, who also refused to give his name, told the newspaper that border police who stopped him while he was traveling in his car said he could choose between a broken arm or a broken car. He said he choose his arm, thinking the forces would not follow through on the threat. But the border policemen then broke his arm, he said.

Palestinians who allege they were beaten will meet with officials from the police investigative unit Monday, the paper reported.

The army spokesman said in reaction to the reports that it had not found any truth to the charges in an initial investigation of cases in the Yediot report, but the army would continue to look into the accusations.

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