Israeli police kill Arabs with impunity

Israel's attorney general says no police officers will be charged over the killing of 13 Arabs in the Oct. 2000 rallies against the regime.

Attorney General Menachem Mazuz claimed on Sunday that there was insufficient evidence to pursue a prosecution against officers who opened fire during demonstrations in October 2000, citing refusal of the families to allow autopsies of the dead as one of his reasons.

Thousands of Arabs took to the streets for several days in October 2000, expressing solidarity with the Intifada that had broken out in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Police opened fire with live ammunition to try to quell the protests, killing 13 people near the town of Um el-Fahm.

"It's unacceptable for killer policemen to open fire with impunity at citizens and not be tried in court. This is further proof of the discrimination against the Arab population," Arab lawmaker Ahmed Tibi said.

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel has also condemned the decision, saying "this alarming trend suggests that it's acceptable and even lawful for the police not to be held responsible for killing Arab citizens."