Israeli Arab deaths inquiry continues

There were scuffles as the tribunal heard testimony

By Paul Adams in Jerusalem

A state inquiry will begin its second day of hearings in Israel into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 13 Israeli Arabs killed by police during clashes last year.

They died in demonstrations sparked by the start of the Palestinian uprising in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in early October.

Israeli Arabs say they feel like second-class citizens, unable to achieve equality in what is after all a Jewish state

The outgoing government of Prime Minister Ehud Barak set up the inquiry in November after pressure from Israeli Arabs and human-rights groups.

There were emotional scenes on Monday as, for the first time, relatives of some of the Arabs came face to face with the men they hold responsible.

As relatives arrived, many held photos of their sons and brothers.

There were scuffles as the tribunal heard testimony from a policeman about events in the village of Jatt.

'Unrestrained violence'

The father of a young man who was killed there tried to attack the policeman.

The dead man's distraught mother collapsed and the session had to be adjourned for an hour-and-a-half.

Israeli Arab unrest was closely linked to that of the Palestinian uprising

The violence that erupted in Israeli Arab towns and villages in October was closely linked to events in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, where the Palestinian uprising had just begun.

But Israeli Arabs have their own grievances. Most say they feel like second-class citizens, unable to achieve equality in what is after all a Jewish state.

They argue the police acted without restraint at the first sign of trouble, shooting Israeli citizens with impunity because they happened to be Arabs.

The police, for their part, say they faced rioting mobs intent on causing damage and had no choice but to open fire.

Ehud Barak's government initially announced that a fact-finding committee would examine what happened, but Israeli Arabs said this was not enough.

Pressure eventually forced the government's hand. A full state inquiry with the power to prosecute was announced in November.