A rare and concerning event took place in Samaria overnight between Wednesday and Thursday in which Israel Defense Force soldiers who were assigned to maintain order between Arab and Israeli protesters, were attacked by Israeli right-wing extremists. In the aftermath of the incident, Israeli police officers caught a young man, who is an IDF soldier himself, who fled the scene. A number of other arrests of Jewish extremists are expected.
The head of the opposition Benjamin Netanyahu, the chairman of โHatzionot Hadatit'' (religious zionist party), and the head of the Samaria Council Yossi Dagan all strongly condemned the attackers who threw stones at Israeli paratroopers securing the area near Hawara, in Samaria. Knesset member Itamar Ben Gvir, who also condemned the event, blamed Defense Minister Benny Gantz and the spokesman for the IDF.
Israeli politicians outraged after settlers attack troops near Nablus; suspect arrested - good, but Netanyahu says he "fully condemns the violence"...wait, didn't Bibi encourage this kind of activity??? #terrorism https://t.co/6yNtmdoEnT
โ Phil Gurski (@borealissaves) October 20, 2022
"I strongly condemn the violence against IDF soldiers and call on the security forces to bring the perpetrators to justice," said Netanyahu, who emphasized that he "protests the attempt to tarnish a large community of settlers because of the wrongful act of a few. The absolute majority of settlers respect the law, serve in the IDF, and are deeply grateful to our soldiers who protect us all."
ืื ื ืืื ื ืืชืืงืฃ ืืช ืืืืืืืช ื ืื ืืืืื ืฆืืดื ืืงืืจื ืืืืืืช ืืืืืืื ืืืฆืืช ืืช ืืืื ืขื ืืคืืจืขืื.
โ Benjamin Netanyahu - ืื ืืืื ื ืชื ืืื (@netanyahu) October 20, 2022
ืื ื ืื ืืืื ืขื ืื ืืกืืื ืืืืชืื ืฆืืืืจ ืืืื ืฉื ืืชืืืฉืืื ืืืื ืืขืฉื ืคืกืื ืฉื ืืืืืื. ืืจืื ืืืืืื ืฉื ืืืชืืืฉืืื ืืืืืื ืืช ืืืืง, ืืฉืจืชืื ืืฆืืดื ืืืืงืืจืื ืชืืื ืขืืืงื ืืืืืืื ื ืฉืืื ืื ืขื ืืืื ื.
Bezalel Smotrich tweeted that "we do not raise a hand against an IDF soldier. Period", while his faction partner Itamar Ben Gvir said: "Violence against IDF soldiers is always wrong and has no place in any situation, even once, and I strongly condemn it. But the fact that the IDF spokesman chose to issue a statement stating that "tonight there was a violent disturbance by dozens of settlers in the Hawara area, in which stones were thrown at Palestinian vehicles", without noting that stones were thrown at Jews by "Palestinians" on the spot beforehand, is presenting a false one-sided narrative."
A 70-year-old human rights activist, Hagar Gefen, was among those attacked by settlers helping Palestinians harvest olives, witnesses say.
โ Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) October 20, 2022
"She suffers from broken ribs and bruises all over her body," one activist claimshttps://t.co/Np3XXbRU8m pic.twitter.com/BRqfHdCPd8
The left-leaning parties in Israel were all too eager to comment on the events. MK Mossi Raz from Meretz said in his official statement that: "This serious incident must not be seen out of context. Yesterday human rights activists were brutally attacked, and the day before that Palestinian residents of Hawara were attacked. Settler violence increases its intensity every day and must be dealt with severely."
Defense Minister Benny Gantz seemed to channel both right and left-leaning Israelis in his statement and said: "We will work to bring justice to the criminals who do not represent the Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria and harm the ability to provide security to the citizens of Israel and the residents of the area. The IDF soldiers have my full backing and should have the morale to continue to operate and carry out their operational mission."
