16 February 2005 PRESS RELEASE Volunteer from Comunity Pope John XXIII, beaten to blood by israeli settlers, is in serious conditions.  This morning one volunteer of the Comunity Pope John XXIII was injured seriously by Israeli settlers. At the moment the volunteer, that seems to have lost consciousness, is in Beer Sheva Hospital, and his conditions seem heavy because of a head injury. He has short term memory loss and blurred vision. Around 11.00 a.m. 3 volunteers from Operation Dove- Nonviolent Peace Corp of the Comunity Pope John XXIII-  and two volunteers form Christian Peacemaker teams were attacked by a group of  5 Israeli settlers coming from the nearby settlement of Ma’on, in West Bank. One of the settlers fired some rifle shots towards the volunteers, than other settlers run up, and beat heavily 3 volunteers, among them one Conscientious Objector in the Civilian Service. All the fact happened while the volunteers were accompanying a little group of Palestinian sheperds to graze sheeps. All happened on a palestinians property land, not subjected to any restriction from the Israeli military authority, which, up to Oslo Agreements, administer the area. It’s many days, in this area (South Hebron Hills), that settlers chase away the palestinian sheperds without any attempt from Israeli Authority to protect the right to use their fields. Two weeks ago, two volunteers from Operation Dove were threatened of death from settlers of Ma’on settlement. In October 2004, one volunteer of operation dove was beaten by Ma’on settlers while he was accompanying children to school. In September 2004, in the same way two American volunteers from Christian Peacemaker Teams were admitted to hospital after been attacked and beaten from Ma’on settlers. Operation Dove Nonviolent Peace Corp from  the Comunity Pope John XXIII Info: Tel. 0039-541-751498   Mob. 0039-348-2488102 To contact the volunteers in Israel/Palestine 00972-547-382452  www.operazionecolomba.org

This page: www.taayush.org/20050216-dove.html