Dozens of ultra-Orthodox Jews attack Druze man in upper Galilee village

[Scurrilous]

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/620102.html

<snip>

"Dozens of ultra-Orthodox Jews from central Israel attacked a Druze man near the upper Galilee village of Beit Jan early on Thursday evening.

The man, Najib Kais, was evacuated to a hospital in Nahariya in light condition.

Mona, Kais' 14-year-old daughter, said her father was working with his wife and other daughter in their private vineyard located in Zabud, just north of Beit Jan, when a group of some 70 ultra-Orthodox Jews who had been hiking in the Mount Meron nature reserve arrived at the orchard and ordered the man to leave.

Mona said that when he told them the land belonged to him, they began to attack him with stones.

Following the attack, hundreds of Beit Jan residents made their way to the scene, where they clashed with the ultra-Orthodox Jews."

[aquart]

1. Druze are Christians, aren't they?

What the bloody hell was that about?

And what does "light condition" mean?

[Scurrilous]

2. Light condition...

...probably means his injuries were light.

[eyl]

4. No, they aren't

The Druze fait is a seperate religion.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. Najib Kais was attacked and beaten because he would not leave his land.

His land.

He wasn't being evicted by a government of any level by eminent domain or because of condemnation.

He didn't sell the land and refuse to move.

Not even adverse possession where he failed to evict residential trespassers.

He just said no. And he was attacked with the potential of his demise if he kept refusing.

Things have truly degenerated to a nadir.

[eyl]

5. An optimist, are you?

We're nowhere near the nadir.

Let's hope we don't approach it closer.

[Igel]

6. How strange. Are there any other versions of the story, for

comparison.

Unlike a previous poster, I can't figure out why they'd do this. It almost sounds as though they were walking through a nature preserve and stumbled across a vineyard they (stupidly) believed was encroaching on preserve territory, doesn't it?

I mean, I could just assume blind prejudice--hey, you there, you look Arab, your land is my land--but it's not my usual first assumption.

[Scurrilous]

7. Another version:

2 hurt in scuffle between Jews, Druze

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3136534,00.html