MK Hanin Zoabi Wounded By israeli Fire

By Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Arab member of the Israeli Knesset, Haneen Zoabi, stated that she was hit by two rubber-coated bullets fired by the Israeli police during Wednesday clashes in Umm al-Fahm, after the police violently attacked protesters who took off to the streets to counter a march by fundamentalist settlers.

The Arabs48 news website reported that Zoabi was deliberately targeted by the police.

The police fired dozens of gas bombs and rubber-coated bullets at the protesters and also chased and clubbed several residents before arresting them.

Dozens of residents were wounded by rubber-coated bullets, while others were treated after inhaling gas fired by the police. The wounded residents were moved to local hospitals.

A local reporter, identified as Mohammad Watad, was hit by a gas bomb in his neck, and member of the National Democratic Assembly, Murad Haddad, was shot by a rubber-coated bullet in his foot leading to a fracture.

The Arabs48 news website reported that the police deliberately attacked political leaders including Mohammad Zeidan, head of the Higher Follow-up Committee; MK Dr. Jamal Zahalka; Awad Abdul-Fattah, secretary-general of the National Democratic Assembly; Umm al-Fahm mayor, Khaled Hamdan; MK Afou Agbaria and several other political and social figures.

MK Zoabi told the Arabs48 news that “the real threat against the protesters did not actually come from the extremist settlers, but in fact came from the police who deliberately attacked the protesters with the intent to hurt them”.

She added that the police started firing rubber-coated bullets way before any clashes took place, and that the police apparently intended to send a message stating that “Arabs who defend themselves and stand for their rights, will be punished”.

Zoabi further stated that the police apparently agrees with the mentality and stances of the extreme fundamentalist right-wingers in Israel, “therefore, the police is more dangerous that the extremists, as policemen can justify the use violence without being punished”.

She added that the Arabs will continue to defend themselves and their lands, and will always demand their legitimate rights in their own historical country.

'israel benefited Rafiq Hariri murder'

The former head of Israel's Military Intelligence says Israel benefited from the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.

Major General Amos Yadlin said on Wednesday that Israel has been able to launch more than one operation in Lebanon following Hariri's killing.

In 2005, Hariri was killed in a massive car bombing in the capital city of Beirut.

He also admitted that Tel Aviv carried out the terror assassination of Hezbollah's commander Imad Mughniyeh in Syria two years ago.

The former official noted that Israel restored a huge number of espionage networks inside Lebanon and managed to assassinate Mughniyeh through the very same spy rings.

Yadlin claimed Mughniyeh's murder helped Israel enter a new stage in its conflict with Hezbollah, adding that the Israeli Military Intelligence should proceed with such plans in Lebanon.

Earlier reports had revealed that chief of Israeli spy agency Mossad Meir Dagan personally planned the assassination at orders by former Israeli premier Ehud Olmert.

Mughniyeh, who was one of the most prominent Hezbollah figures, was assassinated in a car bomb explosion in the Syrian capital on February 12, 2008.

Hezbollah held the Israeli regime responsible for the assassination of Mughniyeh, but the regime's officials at the time denied having any role in the assassination.

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