Ramallah’s Chief of Police on the Lynching of Two Israeli Soldiers

Ramallah’s Chief of Police on the Lynching of Two Israeli Soldiers

Originally published in Ha’aretz Magazine following the lynching of two IDF soldiers at a Palestinian police station in Ramallah at the beginning of the Second Intifada, this article retells the event from the perspective of Colonel Kamel al-Sheikh, Ramallah’s Chief of Police. In a rare interview at the site of the murder, the Chief of Police provides a play-by-play of the event, including his own efforts to protect the two soldiers, which proved futile in the face of the angry mob. Although he expresses remorse for what happened, Colonel al-Sheikh also places some of the blame on Israel, asking how it is possible for two soldiers to accidentally end up in such a dangerous environment, questioning why they responded by bombing the police station, and criticizing the Israeli army for not giving proper warning before violent operations. He warns that the uprising is impossible to stop, due to the frustration of the Palestinian people at the failed Peace Process and the challenges of the occupation. He presents the uniquely difficult position of Palestinian security officials who are trying to maintain order, but  accused by both sides of betrayal.