Palestinians, Israelis dispute official's autopsy results

Israeli and Palestinian officials issued conflicting accounts on Thursday over the results of an autopsy of a Palestinian minister who died after being shoved and grabbed by the neck by an Israeli border policeman at a West Bank protest on Wednesday.

The incident comes at a time of heightened tension between Israelis and Palestinians, following months of violent unrest in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

A top Palestinian official, Hussein al-Sheikh, said Jordanian and Palestinian doctors involved in the late-night examination of the body said Ziad Abu Ein, 55, had died from "being struck, inhaling tear gas and a delay in providing medical attention".

But an Israeli medical source familiar with the autopsy results said the minister died of a heart attack and had a pre-existing heart condition.

"His death was caused by a coronary occlusion, brought on by stress. The stress may have been brought on by him being grabbed by the neck," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case with the media.

Thirty Israeli soldiers and border police officers fired tear gas and sound grenades at 100 people protesting against a Jewish settlement by planting olive trees in the village of Turmusiya north of Ramallah on Wednesday.

The United States called on Wednesday for joint efforts to ease tensions following the death of Abu Ein.

"We offer our condolences to his family and the Palestinian Authority," US State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said. "And at this difficult time we continue to call on both sides to work to lower tensions and prevent an escalation of violence."

She also urged Israel to open a "swift, fair and transparent" investigation into the incident.

A scuffle ensued in which a border policeman pushed Abu Ein and grabbed his neck firmly with one hand. Footage of the incident does not show Abu Ein responding violently.

Minutes later the minister began to look faint and fell to the ground, clasping his chest. He died on his way to a hospital.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the incident "barbaric" and said he and other leaders would consider a response after a funeral for Abu Ein with full military honors at midday on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Israeli paramilitary border police clashed on Thursday with up to 100 rock-throwing Palestinians in the West Bank city of Hebron, the Israeli military said.

Reuters - AP - Xinhua

(China Daily 12/12/2014 page11)