- JERUSALEM (AP) -- Amnesty
International called on Israel on Monday to take action against West Bank
settlers who it says have been poisoning Palestinians' livestock.
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- Over a period of several weeks, Jewish settlers have
spread toxic chemicals on Palestinian fields south of the West Bank city
of Hebron, a statement released by the human-rights group said.
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- The statement also charged that Israeli authorities are
turning a blind eye to the incidents in Israeli-controlled areas of the
West Bank.
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- "To date, the Israeli authorities have not cleaned
the toxic chemicals ... and have not taken the necessary measures to investigate
the matter with a view to bringing those responsible to justice,"
said the statement from the London-based human-rights group.
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- "Palestinian farmers have been forced to quarantine
their flocks and stop using the milk, cheese and meat from them, effectively
depriving them of their livelihood," Amnesty said.
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- Harassment of Palestinians by settlers from Maon and
a nearby unauthorized outpost called Havat Maon has been going on for years
and has been the object of dozens of Palestinian complaints and several
reports by human-rights groups.
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- The first poisoning incident was discovered on March
22 in a field near the village of Tuwani. Dozens of sheep and other animals
have been poisoned and several have died, forcing Palestinian farmers to
quarantine their livestock, the main source for their livelihood, the report
said.
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- The Israeli police confirmed the presence of toxic substances
in fields near several West Bank villages but rejected Amnesty's allegations
that they do not do enough to prevent settler attacks on Palestinians.
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- "It's not true that the police is doing nothing.
We make arrests, and there will be more in the future," said Shlomi
Said,, the police spokesman for the West Bank. "When there is an attack,
we arrest them and take them to court."
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- Mr. Sagi said the police pay extra attention to sensitive
areas where settlers and Palestinians routinely clash, assigning more police
to patrol the fields. He said there is an investigation into the poisoning
incidents.
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- The Amnesty statement said settler attacks on Palestinians,
as well as on international peace activists, have increased in recent months,
but the authorities have failed to investigate. Mr. Sagi said at least
10 settlers have been arrested for attacking Palestinian farmers.
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