MIDDLE-EAST: Military-style police dealt harshly yesterday with about 2,000 would-be Muslim pilgrims, many of whom had queued since 5am to leave Bethlehem for a Ramadan service at nearby Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque.
There were reports of rioting and clashes with young men at four other checkpoints around Jerusalem in Israel's 700km-long "security wall" which is not yet complete. It is designed to hermetically seal the occupied Palestinian West Bank territory.
Jerusalem police spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby said border policemen made six arrests and reported no injuries. Soldiers dispersed the crowds with stun grenades, tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons. At one checkpoint outside Jerusalem, desperate people used ladders to scale the 3.6 metre concrete separation barrier.
The police were attempting to weed out Palestinian men under 40 seeking to attend the Ramadan prayers. Younger men angry about not being allowed into the city threw stones at troops, Ben-Ruby said. It is considered a special honour to attend Friday prayers at al-Aqsa during Ramadan.
At the Bethlehem turnstile there was no rioting but pilgrims had light injuries from police violence. As a crowd control technique police in helmets with visors used stun grenades, or "sound bombs" as they are known locally, and batons, sending people of all ages scurrying in all directions. One man's long gown caught fire from a sound bomb exploding between his feet. Old women cried in appeals to Allah.
Police seemed not to rely on papers but looked people in the face and apparently arbitrarily waved them on or not. Some of those refused were shouted at and pushed. About 50 per cent of the travellers did not get through. Many of these Arabic-speaking people were let through but then rechecked, interrogated roughly in Hebrew, only to be sent back.
The incidents were witnessed by World Council of Churches observers, UN monitors and a group of Irish people who have been on a fact-finding visit. One of them, Philip O'Connor, said the intention seemed to be to intimidate the people but that they refused to be intimidated, retaining a patient dignity. He said: "The smirking soldiers seemed intent on a ritual humiliation." The police also ostentatiously ate food in front of the fasting pilgrims.
There were similar scenes last Friday in Bethlehem and more are expected next Friday, the last of Ramadan.
The Palestinians condemn the "security" barrier as a land grab because it frequently juts into the West Bank. Among the grafitti at the Bethlehem turnstiles is one saying: "Jesus wept for Jerusalem - we weep for Palestine." Another says: "Voices from the ghetto."
Near Nablus to the north, where some 3,000 worshippers gathered at daybreak to make the longer journey to Jerusalem, clashes were also reported.
At the Aram checkpoint outside Jerusalem, people used ladders to scale the 25-foot concrete separation barrier. Witnesses said about 200 people made it over the barrier, but Ben-Ruby said none of the climbers managed to make it into Jerusalem.
- Additional reporting: AP