a woman allegedly nearly suffocated in the latest attack.
The WCC said the volunteer of its Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) was attacked by a Jewish settler Friday, June 23, in the Tel Rumeida district of Hebron.
"Whilst in the area of the Cordoba school, where Christian volunteers accompany children to school, Duduzile Masango, a South African ecumenical accompanier was attacked by an elderly settler woman, who pulled a towel tightly around her head," the WCC claimed.
"It is not known if the woman intended to suffocate her, but the accompanier had difficulty breathing. Stones were also thrown at Masango and four other internationals who were with her," the WCC said in a statement to BosNewsLife. "The incident left her shaken, although she did not need to receive medical treatment," the organization said, adding that an Israeli soldier was standing next to the group of volunteers, but "did not act to stop the attack."
POLICE RELUCTANCE
Although a complaint was filed, Israeli police allegedly told Masango that they did not believe her testimony. The claim could not be confirmed independently and there was no immediate reaction from Israeli officials.
"This is just one in a long line of incidents targeting internationals in Hebron," said EAPPI International Program Coordinator Rifat Kassis. "The WCC continues to advocate that all settlers in Hebron be withdrawn and settler-occupied properties be returned to their Palestinian owners."
Some evangelical groups have accused the WCC of bias towards Israel at a time when the Jewish state is increasingly attacked by Palestinian militants. The WCC also complained about a previous reported attack against a Swiss lawyer who was allegedly stoned by a young Israeli settler in the same Hebron district of Friday’s attack.
SOCIAL WORKERS ATTACKED
In addition on April 20 also in Tel Rumeida a German social worker and a Norwegian sociologist were attacked by some 15 young settlers, WCC claimed. "In both cases, the Christian volunteers were escorting Palestinian pupils of the Cordoba Girls School to protect them from harassment by settlers. The WCC presented a formal protest to the Israeli ambassador in Switzerland over these two incidents on April 25," but did not receive a response, the group said.
It said the school is situated opposite the Beit Hadassah settlement, and claimed that pupils and teachers are frequently targets of stone-throwing, kicking and spitting by the settlers.
Coordinated by the WCC, the EAPPI began operating in 2002, and has deployed nearly 300 accompaniers from 14 countries. The WCC says the group wants to "support Palestinians and Israelis working for peace by monitoring and reporting violations of human rights and international humanitarian law" as well as "offering protection by accompanying local communities in daily activities" and by "advocating with churches a peaceful end to what it calls the occupation." (With reports from Israel and the Palestinian territories).
