The skirmishes between area residents and IDF soldiers in the Shomron community of Yitzhar on Thursday did not surprise IDF Colonel Amir Baram, the outgoing area commander. In a recent meeting, he explained that Yitzhar is the nucleus for the area extremists. During the meeting he also called for focusing efforts at the primary provocateurs, naming Kedumim Mayor Daniela Weiss, a veteran Gush Emunim figure, as well as the dean of the girl’s high school in Maale Levona, Rabbi Gadi Ben-Zimra.
Following the removal of a caravan in Adi Ad, there was a day of increased tensions between security forces and Yitzhar residents. In one incident, a resident is suspected of placing a knife against the throat of a soldier and threatening him. Arabs in the area accuse Jews of throwing rocks at them, and the day was a difficult one for security forces.
During the meeting, which was held about a month ago, ISA (Israel Security Agency – Shin Bet) officials were also present, as were representatives of the state prosecutor. The decision was made to begin amassing a file against Weiss and Ben-Zimra, apparently towards filing charges against them, to neutralize their efforts towards the continued building and growth in the area.
Also in their sights are the Dorshei Yechudcha Yeshiva in Yishuv Yitzhar, headed by Rav Yitzchak Shapira, and the Shiru La’Melech Yeshiva in Gilad Farm, which caters to the Hilltop Youth, a segment of the population viewed by many as problematic and perhaps high-risk.
Baram told his colleagues that as the area military commander, he receives many complaints from Arab farmers that they are driven off their fields by Jews and that they are often the subject of violent attacks.
He explained that following the removal of the caravan from Adi Ad on Thursday, the group walked back to Yitzhar, a considerable distance, and en route, began pelting Arabs and Arab cars with rocks. They also set an Arab field ablaze, and in one case, one member of the group grabbed a soldier’s weapon and began firing in the air.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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3 Responses
i would comment but i would be afraid of adding to my shabak file 😀
the zionim should do tshuva bimherah byameinu
and I don’t mean the kids, Hashem yishmor aleyhem, tzaddikim with mesirus nefesh for kavod Hashem
#1: Who exactly are you talking about when you write “zionim”? Do you realize that it’s these settlers who are the real tzionim here – not the Army? Indeed they should do teshuvoh for all of their horrible aveiros, endangering Jews the way they do, angering and provoking the Arabs ever more!
These people are causing such a huge chillul hashem that I am sure that in this case, if Rabbeinu Yoel of Satmar had still been among us, he would have picked up the phone and called this army commander (of the “zionist” army) and have begged him to reign in these settlers!