ep. 12, 2002 By KHALED ABU TOAMEH

Miriam Sufan, 46, was stabbed to death by her son in downtown Tulkarm on Wednesday evening, because he suspected she was having an affair with a Jewish man, according to reports.

The son, Adnan, told passersby that his mother was a traitor because she was having an affair with a Jew.

"He was walking with his mother hand-in-hand, when he suddenly drew a big knife and started stabbing her in the chest and face," according to shopkeeper who saw the killing. "It was a big shock for many people who happened to be in the market buying food before the Israeli army reimposes the curfew on the city."

Another shopkeeper who also witnessed the killing said that at first he thought the woman was a collaborator. "You know, we have become used to hearing about women who work with the Israeli Shin Bet," he said. "That's why when the young man started stabbing the woman, no one wanted to help here. We thought the killer was a member of the Aksa Martyrs Brigades."

The woman died shortly after arriving at hospital. They said she had been stabbed at least 15 times in different parts of the body.

The killing took place as dozens stood by, even as the victim, a mother of five, called for help, a Tulkarm resident said. She said that only after the son fled the scene did a medical team approach the bleeding woman.

The son was later arrested by the Tulkarm police, which described the murder as a "killing with a background of honor."

This phrase refers to murders where a male relative, usually a brother or father, kills a woman under the pretext that she has committed adultery or another "moral offence."

A police official said yesterday that the son told police that he killed his mother because she had married a Jew named Shomron who lives in nearby Netanya.

A source close to the family said the woman was divorced and had moved to Israel several years ago. The source would neither confirm nor deny that the victim had married a Jew. "She was on a visit to her family in Tulkarm," the source said. "She didn't have a clue her son was planning to murder her. On Wednesday, people saw them walking happily, hand-in-hand in the central bus station. It's not clear what led the son to commit this crime."

Sufan was the third woman killed in Tulkarm in the past month. Ikhlas Khouli, a 36-year-old mother of seven, was executed by Fatah gunmen after she allegedly confessed to working with Israeli security forces. Her 19-year-old niece, Raja Abu Omar, was executed a week later after similar allegations.

Two other suspected collaborators were gunned down in the Tulkarm area over the past 48 hours. Fatah claimed responsibility for the killings, saying it would continue its campaign against Palestinian who help Israel.

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2002