About one hundred Arabs attacked a group of Jewish farmers on land between Etz Ephraim and Shaarei Tikva in Samaria about two weeks ago. Yesterday, police arrested the Jews who were forced to fire their weapons to repel the attackers.
The attackers threw rocks and boulders at the farmers. MDA forces evacuated the wounded to Meir Hospital in Kfar Saba.
The farmers managed to escape the lynching after those with military backgrounds fired their personal weapons defensively, saving the lives of the group. After the incident, Arab news networks reported two of the attackers shot in the incident.
Yesterday, Judea/Samaria District Special Police arrested the Jews wounded in the attack, on suspicion that two of the Arab attackers were hurt by the defensive fire.
After the incident, all the Jewish farmers were questioned by the police and gave their version of the incident. After the interrogation, they were released. The remand of two of the Jews was extended by two days and that of another farmer was extended by five days.
During the court hearing, the mother of one of the detainees addressed Judge Ofir Katavi-Rivlin: "I feel privileged to be here sitting next to Daniel, instead of the Israel Police showing up to comfort me over his killing. When the complainant isn't even questioned, it's a gift that I'm here. I want to thank the family that saved my child and thanks to them my child is alive.
"As a mother I can only offer thanks that Daniel managed to escape with the boys who were there, when suddenly the news came to me; thank G-d I'm not in mourning right now, but sitting next to him with my child alive. Do we need another death so I'll be another one on the list?"
The detainees are residents of Nof Ayalon, Talmon, and Dolev; one of them is married with five children. All served in the IDF, some are elite Sayeret graduates, and they have no criminal record.
Adv. Adi Keidar of the Honenu organization represented the farmers at the hearing. Keidar appealed the farmer's extended remand in the District Court.
Honenu deplored the arrest: "The Judea/Samaria District Special Police backs Arab terror. Today we stand appalled in the face of the disgrace presided over by the police. Young Jews who served in the IDF guard a Jewish-owned area, find themselves facing a lynch attempt by masses of rioters, and responded in the most appropriate manner, and since then experiencing real abuse by the police who are supposed to protect them. Today, more than ever, we are seeing how the Judea/Samaria District Special Police backs and encourages Palestinian violence and incitement. It's a disgrace and an outrage."
