OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, 2 September 2003 — Government prejudice and police incompetence lay at the heart of events which led to the deaths of 13 Arab Israelis killed during protests in support of the Palestinian uprising three years ago, an official inquiry found yesterday.
The long-awaited findings of the Orr Commission also criticized former Labour Prime Minister Ehud Barak for failing to show sufficient awareness about the Arab sector “which created the possibility of widespread riots breaking out.”
As well as criticizing several senior police officials the report recommended that former interior security minister Shlomo Ben Ami never again hold any public security posts. “The events were the results of deep-seated factors which created the combustible atmosphere among the Israeli Arabs,” the report said.
“The state and its various governments failed in dealing with in a thorough and comprehensive way the problems of the existence of a large minority within the Jewish majority. “The government treatment of the Arab sector was characterized by prejudice and neglect.”
The report said that the state had failed to “budget resources on an equal basis to the (Arab) sector (and) ... did not do enough to promote equality in the Arab sector and did not act to uproot the phenomenon of discrimination.” “At the same time, not enough was done to enforce the rule of law in the Arab sector.”
Arabs make up almost one fifth of the Israeli population. The report also accused police of displaying an attitude of “prior hostility” toward the protestors and having no idea of how to deal with riots. Lethal weapons, particularly live fire and rubber bullets should never have been used, except in specific conditions where life was in danger, it said. In most incidents where life was lost that was not the case, the report added.
“The committee determined that it is important that it be pointed out in a completely non-ambiguous way that the use of live fire, including live fire by snipers, is not a means of dispersing large crowds by police.”
The report found that police used excessive force. “In regard to rubber bullets, the committee found that this means is not appropriate for use because of its dangers. It was determined that the police must take this weapon out of their inventory,” it added.
The Orr Commission was set up in the wake of widespread anger over the protests which came just a month after the start of the Palestinian uprising, or intifada, in September 2000.
