CPTnet
March 22, 1998
HEBRON: FOUR MEMBERS OF AL ATRASH FAMILY ARRESTED BY SOLDIERS

At 1:00 this afternoon, approximately one hour after CPTer Rich Meyer
left the Al Atrash family land to go to Jerusalem, a squad of
soldiers and police came to the Al Atrash family's home, which they
have been rebuilding since the Israeli military demolished it on
March 3, 1998. They arrested Yussuf and Zuhoor Al Atrash, their
oldest son, Hussam (18) and daughter Manal (17.)

As Rich Meyer and Kathleen Kern were entering Jerusalem, they
received a phone call from Bassam 'Eid, a human rights activist who
happened to be visiting the family at the time, telling them that
soldiers had arrived.

Kern and Meyer returned to Hebron. When they arrived at the family's
land, they found 14 year old Willa' Al Atrash taking care of her
seven younger brothers and sisters. She said the soldiers hit her
parents, Hussam and Manal as well as herself and her three year old
brother Ra'ed.

Mazen Dana, a Reuters journalist present at the time told Kern, "It
was disgusting. They were dragging the mother around on the ground
by her hair and beating her with the ends of their rifles. They tore
her dress and showed her breasts."

Footage of Zuhoor Al Atrash being dragged by soldiers has already
appeared on Israeli television. As of this writing, the four members
of the family are being held at the Kiryat Arba police station on
the outskirts of Hebron. The police offered to let Hussam and Manal
Al Atrash go, but the family members insist that none of them will be
released until all of them are released.

Israeli peace and human rights activists visited the family on
Friday, March 20 and are currently intervening on their behalf.