Palestinians say Netanyahu responsible for Silwan killing

PA spokesperson says incident another one of PM's "trust wrecking moves;" police chief backs security guard who fired shots.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Riots in Silwan (photo credit: Melanie Lidman)
Riots in Silwan
(photo credit: Melanie Lidman)
The Palestinian Authority on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of being responsible for the killing of Samar Sarchan, who was shot dead by a security guard in the east Jerusalem village of Silwan.
Riots erupted in Silwan early in the morning after the 35-year-old east Jerusalem resident was killed and throughout the day, violence spread from Silwan to the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives, as angry rioters threw thousands of stones at police forces.
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Ghassan al-Khatib, director of the Palestinian Government Media Center, said that Netanyahu was directly responsible for the crime and described it as one of Netanyahu's "trust wrecking moves."
The incident was "a crime added to the series crimes of the occupation on Palestinian lands, particularly in east Jerusalem, which are harming both the people and the land," al-Khatib continued.
Amid Palestinian claims of injustice Jerusalem District Police Commander Aharon Franco on Wednesday evening gave his backing to the Israeli security guard who on Wednesday shot dead Samar Sarchan, a resident of the east Jerusalem village of Silwan.
Franco told reporters that "according to an initial investigation, the guard encountered a preplanned ambush which put his life in danger, prompting him to open fire."
The security guard was released from custody after questioning.
Franco said that "throughout the day, the police attempted to ease the tensions and contacted Silwan's dignitaries and the killed man's family. As part of these efforts, the police approved a funeral process, which left from Silwan towards the Muslim cemetery near the Temple Mount."
The district commander denied reports that a young Israeli was stabbed near Augusta Victoria Hospital and said that "according to a police investigation the report is false and the man was just injured during the riots."