The World : Israeli Tax Raid Protested

Hundreds of Arab residents of the West Bank village of Beit Sahur turned in their army-issued identity cards to protest a pre-dawn raid by Israeli tax collectors. Non-payment of taxes has been one of the tactics used in the Palestinian uprising in the occupied areas. The tax collectors, accompanied by Israeli troops, raided the homes of about 50 residents, seized their identity cards and said they wouldn’t be returned until back taxes were paid. The move prompted about 250 other Arabs to turn in their identity cards in protest. Witnesses said 15 people were arrested. Meanwhile, in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir condemned a firebomb attack in the city’s Jewish business district, saying it proved the uprising was about the “very existence of Israel.” No injuries were reported.