Yitzhar
YitzharTown council

The Samaria community of Yitzhar on Saturday night rejected a police report claiming that dozens of masked men attacked with stones and other items policemen who arrived to break up alleged clashes between residents of the community and Palestinian Arabs.

According to the Yitzhar town council, "During Shabbat, residents went out for a walk near Yitzhar. At the end of the walk, which ended without special incident, in contrast to the police announcement which asserted that clashes between Arabs and Jews took place, the residents headed back to the community.”

“During a stop to rest near the community, a Border Police force arrived and demanded that they evacuate the area and, without any justification, exerted harsh violence against them."

The town added, "Amid the inflamed feelings, an incident of shouts and verbal clashing developed. Instead of admitting their mistake, the police used disproportionate force on the residents, and thus inflamed the atmosphere."

One resident was injured in three places on his head, was evacuated for medical treatment.

"Because of Shabbat, we have no record of the development of the incident, but we recall that, only a few days ago, Border Police attacked and arrested with shocking violence a mentally disabled haredi youth, falsely claiming that he attacked policemen," the town said. "We call on Minister Erdan to clean house over the looseness with which police forces exert violence against civilians, and may the lies swarming in the organization not increase.”