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West Bank violence rises sharply

Spiking rates of societal violence among Palestinians reflect harsh social, economic and political conditions, the spread of a culture that uses weapons, a slow judicial process and an absence of strict measures taken by authorities.
Members of the Palestinian security forces scuffle with protesters during an anti-Annapolis rally in the West Bank city of Hebron November 27, 2007. A Palestinian demonstrator was killed on Tuesday during a West Bank protest against the Annapolis peace conference that drew fire from Palestinian security forces, local medics said. Medical workers said the 35-year-old killed in Hebron had been shot in the chest and that 15 other protesters were injured during clashes with security forces loyal to President Ma
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RAMALLAH, West Bank — On July 31, Friday preachers in the West Bank focused their sermons on societal violence, assaults and thefts from a religious perspective in response to a request made by the Palestinian police. This came as part of an awareness campaign for citizens launched by the police following the month of Ramadan to confront the increase of violence in Palestinian society.

Brawls among Palestinians in the West Bank have significantly increased in an unprecedented way, causing casualties and property damage and prompting the authorities, as well as political and social leaders, to search for reasons for this growing phenomenon and how to control it.

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