JOINT PRESS STATEMENT: Israeli settlers kill 18 month Palestinian child

The Palestinian Embassy in South Africa together with BDS South Africa condemns yesterday’s Israeli extremist attack in the Palestinian village of Douna near Nablus which resulted in the death of an 18 month old Palestinian child, Ali Saad Dawabsha. The baby's mother Reham together with 4 year old brother Ahmad were burned on 90 percent of their bodies while the baby’s father Sa'ad Dawabsha suffered 70% burn injuriues. (Click here for a Times of Israel report)

According to police reports, Israeli settlers threw a firebomb through the window of the Dawabsha home while the family were asleep.The human rights and Palestine solidarity organization BDS South Africa and the Embassy of Palestine extends its sincere condolences to the Dawabsha family.

In recent months there has been increasing attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian churches, mosques and other sites of worship. In June of this year the Church of Multiplication of Loaves and Fish near the Sea of Galilee in Palestine-Israel was attacked by 16 Israeli Settlers. The church is on the site Christians believe Jesus Christ performed the biblical miracle of feeding 5000 people with five loaves and two fish (click here). Israeli settler attacks on Palestinian sites of worship are now extending to Palestinian civilian homes, at their most vulnerable moments, at night, in their sleep.

Various international human rights organisations have condemned the way in which Israeli settlers guilty of attacks on Palestinian sites of worship and civilians are treated with impunity by the Israeli government.

We concur with the Palestinian Liberation Organisation that yesterday’s attacks "is a direct consequence of decades of impunity given by the Israeli government to [Israeli] settler terrorism"

The Israelis who were responsible for the death of Ali Saad Dawabsha and attack on the family must be brought to justice and face the fullest might of the law. In addition, the Israeli government must be held accountable for the impunity that is provided to Israeli settlers who carry out these gruesome attacks on the Palestinian people.

We must hold both the Israeli settlers and Israeli government accountable for its crimes against the Palestinian people through all legal means available including taking Israel to the International Criminal Court and through isolation methods similar to how Apartheid South Africa was held accountable in the 1980s for its attacks on the South African people.

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Tamer AlMassri
Media Officer
Embassy of the State of Palestine to the Republic of South Africa

Tel: +27 (0) 12 342 6411
Email: thawrah.pal@gmail.com

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Kwara Kekana
National Spokesperson
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel in South Africa (BDS South Africa)

Tel: +27 (0) 11 403 2097
Email: kkekana@bdssouthafrica.com

BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT AND SANCTIONS AGAINST ISRAEL IN SOUTH AFRICA (BDS SOUTH AFRICA)
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