In brazen attack by settlers, Palestinians see larger threat

By JACK JEFFERY
Associated Press

Al-MUFAGARA, West Bank (AP) — Residents of a small Palestinian shepherding village in the occupied West Bank say an Israeli settler attack last week was especially violent but not unusual. The attack damaged much of the village’s fragile infrastructure and a 4-year-old boy was hospitalized after being struck in the head by a stone thrown by one of the settlers. The Palestinians view the attack as part of a much larger effort by Israel to force them off the land. It’s nearly impossible for them to get construction permits, and Israel has cut off vital sources of water in the parched region. Israeli authorities meanwhile provide support to nearby Jewish settlements.