A video went viral over the weekend showing a Palestinian family wrestling with a ferocious Israeli soldier to save their son, who was seen being forced on the ground. The mother of the family and her two children talked to Press TV about how they fended off the attacker.
“It is an occupation and we expect anything from it. It is not strange for those who kill children and arrest our youths to commit further crimes. Yes, I hit the soldier and I was ready to do anything to defend my child. I really did not care if the soldiers would arrest me, beat me, or even shoot at me,” said the mother.
The incident took place on Friday while the family was taking part in a demonstration against Tel Aviv’s illegal settlement activities in the occupied West Bank village of Nabi Saleh. The regime troops attacked the peaceful rally and arrested some of the protesters. One of the Israeli soldiers cornered the Palestinian kid and placed him in a headlock. His family surrounded the soldier to help him escape. In the footage, the sister can be seen biting the soldier’s hand as bystanders yell, “He is a little boy. His arm is broken.”
“I’m used to taking part in weekly demonstrations. But this time things were a little bit different. My younger brother was being attacked with no mercy. I was not worried about myself. I’m always afraid of losing a member of my family. This is why I won’t allow them to arrest my brother.” said the daughter of the family.
More than half a million Israelis live in over 120 illegal settlements built since Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East al-Quds in 1967. Much of the international community regard the Israeli settlements as illegal because the territories were occupied by Israel in 1967, and they are hence subject to the Geneva Conventions, which forbid construction on occupied lands.
“I’m not afraid of the soldiers and confront them during the demonstrations but this time I was not able to escape them myself because arm was broken. Two days ago the Israeli vehicles stormed our village, I went with the other children and youths to force them out. A jeep chased me to arrest me. I escaped and fell down and broke my arm.” said the boy.