You have to love Summer. The heat…frolicking in the sun….water-related violence.
Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said Wednesday he would allocate funds to repair water well in the Bethlehem area a day after a man was seriously injured following water-related violence in the city.
Palestinian Authority (PA) forces used teargas and bullets to disperse demonstrators from Aida Refugee Camp who were demanding water from local PA authorities.
A drought, a broken well, and a reduction of water supplies by the Israeli company Mekorot, have resulted in a severe water shortage in Bethlehem this summer. The city’s three refugee camps have been worst affected by this. Camp residents say that they have gone without water at times for up to two weeks.
The Popular Committee of Aida Refugee Camp urged Fayyad on Wednesday to open an investigation into Tuesday’s clashes, which took place near the Intercontinental Hotel, adjacent to the camp, as the prime minister was arriving in the city.
Camp resident Jadallah Abu Srour was seriously injured in the violence, the committee said. In a statement the committee also urged Fayyad and the PA to resolve the water crisis, which it called “urgent.”
Bethlehem governor Salah At-Ta’mari briefed Fayyad on Wednesday about the clashes, which he later told Ma’an were “unfortunate.” The governor also met with residents of the camp, who demanded legal action against the security personnel who opened fire on the demonstrators.
I think it is pretty telling that groups like the ISM – who are very quick to.. err.. raise a stink about our protest dispersal methods – are silent on this. Which just goes to show that they are more about hating Israel than about loving the palestinians.
