The following was posted on Hamas’ twitter account:
#Palestinian cameraman bleeding after being assaulted by #Israeli soldiers in the #OccupiedJerusalemtwitter.com/AlqassamBrigad…
— Alqassam Brigades (@AlqassamBrigade) March 10, 2013
That’s not exactly how things unfolded.
The Palestinian camera man is Atta Awisat, who after being hit by a stone thrown by a peaceful Palestinian protester, refused to be evacuated for treatment, and then went on to claim that Israeli police prevented his treatment.
Israeli police have photographic evidence that a medic approached his stretcher and offered help, but Awisat refused and asked the Red Crescent to take him out of the Temple Mount towards the Western Wall Plaza. He then urged other photographers to take his pictures.
Here’s the images provided by Israeli police.
Here’s Atta Awisat’s reply to the allegations.
I was hit with something thrown at me, the Red Crescent made ??it clear that this requires urgent treatment, and wanted to take me to Makassed Hospital on the Mount of Olives. I refused, because I wanted medical treatment in an Israeli hospital. When I got to the Mughrabi Gate, the officers looked at me and did nothing. A policeman named Samson approached me and offered medical assistance, I ignored it and continued on foot towards the Western Wall, while feeling dizzy. On the way, one of the officers introduced himself as a medic approached me and offered to help, I told him that for about 10 minutes he looked at me, and asked why only now did he come up to me to offer help? Hence I refused his help. In the hospital, I had 30 stitches and 10 teeth were broken.
There might be conflicting reports on the police reactions to Awisat’s injury – obviously, after Awisat changed his take on events when presented with evidence – yet one thing is certain: Hamas is using this as propaganda. Awisat has tried to downplay his injury from his fellow Arabs, and wants to be treated in Apartheid’s Israel hospital (for free I presume).
