Mayor Eliyahu Shaviro of the Samarian Jewish community of Ariel posted a message on Facebook on Sunday, saying that "contrary to the prevailing rumors," he is not bringing haredi-religious Jews to Ariel and will not make sure that roads are closed on the Sabbath.
Explaining why he chose to publish the post today, he said, "Today we commemorate Tisha B'Av. Today is a fast day in which we mourn the destruction of the Temple due to needless hatred. Dear residents, we will continue to live [with] and respect each other in full harmony - for a good and comfortable community life for all the residents."