DAVID'S WISH IS PALESTINE'S COMMAND

Angry Palestinians Lash Out at Militants (IBRAHIM BARZAK, May 20, 2003, Associated Press)

Palestinian residents of a northern Gaza town demonstrated Tuesday after Israelis destroyed buildings and farms there in a five-day invasion, but in a rare twist, their wrath was directed at Palestinian militants for firing rockets from their property, not at the Israelis. [...]

Two hours after the pullback, angry residents of Beit Hanoun, a town of 35,000, took to the streets in a spontaneous demonstration, complaining that the militants had caused Israel to destroy their property. It was a rare outburst; most Palestinian demonstrations are aimed against Israel.

The residents said the Israeli military demolished 15 houses, uprooted thousands of trees and damaged the water and sewage systems.

The demonstrators blocked a main road with trash cans, rocks and burning tires in a show of outrage against the militants. Most of the rockets are launched by members of the violent Islamic Hamas.

"They (the militants) claim they are heroes,'' said Mohammed Zaaneen, 30, a farmer, as he carried rocks into the street. ``They brought us only destruction and made us homeless. They used our farms, our houses and our children ... to hide.''

The great mass of Palestinians must inevitably share these sentiments. Posted by Orrin Judd at May 20, 2003 3:47 PM