The Eid Al Fitr holiday marking the end of Ramadan celebrated this week was not all fun and games for the Palestinians. Two serious attacks on Palestinians from Jerusalem by Jewish youths and police marred the festivities and highlighted the growing hatred against Palestinians in Jerusalem in particular.

On August 23, 42-year old Tala Said filed a complaint with Israel's justice ministry after a police officer tasered him five times at a Tel Aviv water park.

A video of the incident uploaded to the internet shows an Israeli officer repeatedly shooting Said with an electric stun gun even after he was handcuffed and on the ground.

Said was with his wife and five children when police arrived to break up a fight at the park between Palestinian youths. When he saw how police used pepper spray against one of the youths he tried to intervene, which was when the Taser gun was used against him.

"My whole body was bleeding. I vomited and then went to the hospital. I was shocked five times, and several times more outside the area," he said.

Over the Eid weekend, a group of Palestinians were attacked in West Jerusalem, one seriously injured. Jamal Julani suffered a stroke, was in a coma for days and remains in hospital after a group of Jewish youths attacked him and his friends in a West Jerusalem neighborhood.

A 15-year old Jewish youth arrested in connection to the attack who admitted to beating Julani said to the magistrate court, "For all I care, let him die. He’s an Arab".

According to Julani’s cousin who was also attacked, the four were minding their own business. "We were walking and suddenly maybe 50 Jews came toward us shouting, 'Arabs Arabs.' Suddenly one of them said to Jamal, 'What are you doing, you son of a bitch?' Jamal tried to flee, but (the attacker) whacked him in the chest and (Jamal) fell with his head on the floor."

On August 22, Israeli forces broke into the Rimon prison, attacking prisoners in two blocks. According to Prisoner Affairs Minister Issa Qaraqe, the attack came one day after prisoners agreed with prison services on certain improvements. Prison authorities tried to subject the prisoners to strip searches which they refused, leading to confrontations between the two. Eight prisoners were injured, 100 moved to other prisons while others were placed in isolation. All of the prisoners have been denied family visits.

On a positive note, the Palestinian Authority applauded South Africa on August 23 after its cabinet voted to label goods made in the occupied West Bank as separate from Israeli products.

"Giving those products a mark to distinguish them will prevent Israel from disguising them as Israeli products rather than settlement products," Abdul Hafiz Nofal, PA deputy economy minister said.

Israel unsurprisingly, was unhappy with the decision, saying South Africa was behaving like an "apartheid state".

"Unfortunately it turns out the change that has begun in South Africa over the years has not brought about any basic change in the country, and it remains an apartheid state," Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said.

The PA says it is determined to zero in on settlements at all levels. On August 24, it said it was considering taking legal action against Israeli leaders and settlers who practice “terrorism” against the Palestinian people.

PA official Hasan al-Auri said the PA would seek to sue Israeli officials in international courts, and to prosecute settlers in national courts in countries where it is allowed to prosecute foreigners. If the PA’s move at the UN succeeds in securing a non-member state status Aruri said it would be easier to sue Israeli officials in the International Criminal Court, including Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Liberman.

Lieberman has waged a vicious battle this week against President Mahmoud Abbas, calling for his replacement. In a letter to US, EU, Russian and UN leaders Lieberman called for a change of leaders through Palestinian elections. “Due to Abbas' weak standing and his policy of not renewing the (peace) negotiations, which is an obstacle to peace, the time has come to consider a creative solution, to think 'outside the box,' in order to strengthen the Palestinian leadership," he wrote.

PLO executive committee member Saeb Erekat replied on August 24, saying he had written to the US and Israel asking for clarification of Lieberman’s comments, saying the comments were incitement towards killing Abbas. He also said intends to send more letters to international bodies to warn that President Mahmoud Abbas is in danger.

PA energy authority head Omar Kittaneh said this week that the electricity crisis facing the PA was “real”, confirming that the Jerusalem Electric Company received a letter from the Israeli electric company threatening to cut off power from all Palestinian territories if their debts were not paid – debts reaching NIS700 million. Kittaneh said the finance ministry had agreed to transfer NIS20 million to the Israeli company as a first installment. He also said the PA was looking to find solutions to unpaid electricity bills and entire areas that steal electricity lines.

Finally, on August 24, Hamas’ de facto prime minister Ismail Haniyeh said he had been invited to attend the meeting of leaders from non-aligned developing nations in Iran next week. On the 25th, Prime Minister Salam Fayyad called on Haniyeh to turn down the invitation, saying it was an attempt to undermine the PLO’s representation of the Palestinians. Fayyad said this would only further consolidate the political split already plaguing the Palestinians.