Some 20 armed settlers also threw stones, attacked Palestinians with clubs and smashed the windows of several cars.

The Brigades have attacked Palestinians as well as Israelis.

The region's radical governments, like those of the Sudan, Libya and Iran, attacked the Arab countries and Palestinians who went to Madrid.

All three men were also accused of plotting to attack Palestinians in order to undermine the peace talks.

Daniella Weiss, of the far-right settler movement Gush Emunim, said settlers attacking Palestinians "should be praised for it and no one should speak against them."

The charges submitted to a military court in Haifa said the sergeant, Eric Schwartz, believed the two planned to attack Palestinians.

Impelled by a fear of annihilation, HAM AS also attacked Palestinians whom they judged to be collaborators with Israel.

"They're asking the P.A. to attack Palestinians, and that's not possible."

Jewish settlers in the occupied territories reacted by attacking Palestinians and vandalizing homes and cars in Beita, in the West Bank.

But the eldest, 34-year-old Bassam an-Najjar from the village of Yaabad, west of Jenin, denied that the family had attacked other Palestinians.