Israel ousted a European organization from Hebron on Monday following a number of controversial incidents, including one in which the group’s “legal advisor” brutally assaulted a 10-year-old Israeli boy.
By World Israel News Staff
Israel has taken steps to remove the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) “observer” group, whose members claimed to be “monitoring” Israeli activity in the city.
TIPH had operated in Hebron based on a mandate regularly renewed by Israel and the Palestinian Authority, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in a statement on Monday, “We won’t allow an international force to act against us.”
While TIPH’s mission is ostensibly to monitor compliance with the agreement that divided the administration of the city between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, group members have been caught committing crimes against Israelis.
Last year, TIPH’s legal counsel assaulted a 10-year Jewish child in Hebron, slapping the young boy across the face. In another incident, a staff member punctured the tire of a Jewish resident’s vehicle in Hebron.
TIPH has also been accused of provoking Israeli security forces, collaborating with fringe left-wing groups, and interfering with the daily life of local Israeli residents of Hebron.
The announcement that Israel would not be renewing TIPH’s mandate was immediately applauded by Hebron’s Jewish community, Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely, and Strategic Affairs and Public Safety Minister Gilad Erdan.
Video of the assault in July 2018: