A fire (illustration)
A fire (illustration)Yoni Kempinski

The members of the emergency security squad (kitat konenut) at Amona, in the Binyamin region, announced Friday that they are collectively resigning their posts, after police arrested two of them. Police say that the two men had been throwing rocks at Arab marauders near their community, despite the fact that the IDF and police were present.

The members of the emergency team have reportedly handed in their guns and communications radio to the army.

The two men were under arrest at the Judea and Samaria (Shai) District Friday, but the police said they would be released before the Sabbath.

"I do not know members of an emergency security squad who throw rocks at Arabs when police and army forces are on the scene," a police officer in the Shai District told Arutz Sheva.

The security coordinator for the community was called in for questioning after the Sabbath, for firing in the air.

Residents of Amona said angrily that police mishandled the event. Arabs set fire to fields next to Amona, they said. Residents came out with fire extinguishers to put out the flames when they felt that their lives were at real risk.

"The fire came close to the homes and the members of the emergency security squad tried to drive them away without using live fire," one of them told Arutz Sheva. "This was a shameful display on the part of the security forces, who have failed at protecting the residents. The scene was surrealistic: numerous Yassam (special police) were 'guarding' the Jews while there were only three Border Police men standing on the Arab side, where the violence had begun."