Arab Mob Burns Israeli Soldier to Death Following Car Accident

An angry mob of Arab refugees stoned and burned an Israeli reserve soldier to death after his car struck two Palestinian teen-agers in a refugee camp, the army said Friday.

The soldier, who was not identified, had driven his car by mistake into the Bureij refugee camp at about 11 a.m. Thursday when the streets were full of shoppers, an army spokesman said.

Palestinian youths immediately stoned the civilian car, which had yellow Israeli license plates. The soldier, who was in uniform, tried to escape and accidentally hit a donkey cart, injuring two Arab brothers riding on it, the spokesman and Palestinian sources said.

“The accident caused severe rioting in the location,” the spokesman said. “The car was stoned with rocks. The driver was injured, and the vehicle was set on fire.”

The slaying occurred on the start of Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, a national and religious holiday when most places of business and entertainment are closed.

On Friday, Israeli politicians on the right and left condemned the attack. Agriculture Minister Rafael Eitan, head of the right-wing Tsomet Party, was quoted by Israel Radio as saying, “The army should wipe from the surface of the earth all the houses near the scene of the murder. I’ll suggest it at Sunday’s Cabinet meeting.”

Several Parliament members said the brutal slaying showed the intifada , or Arab uprising, is not finished. Shevah Weiss, a member of the center-left opposition Labor Party, called the killing “a victory for the extremists,” adding it showed the depth of hatred motivating Palestinians.

Shortly after the car was set on fire, soldiers arrived and dispersed the crowd, Palestinian sources said. Bureij camp, home to more than 16,000 Palestinians, was placed under curfew and the Gaza Strip declared a closed military zone, preventing journalists from entering.

The military censor held up publication of the incident for more than 21 hours while the soldier’s family was notified.