Chairman of the Yesha Council and the Binyamin Council, Yisrael Gantz, and head of the Samaria Regional Council, Yossi Dagan, issued a joint statement on Sunday evening, after the violent incident at Givat Ronen.
"It is forbidden to take the law into one’s own hands. Anyone who is violent should be punished by law. There is no place for illegal behavior. This is our clear and well-known position and how we operate."
The two added: "Whoever is violent, is committing a morally wrong act, harming the state and the Jewish communities, and directly serving the propaganda of extreme left organizations and enemies of Israel around the world."
"The heads of the councils and Jewish communities in Samaria promote diverse educational activities, in an attempt to eradicate such behavior, even when it is done by a handful of marginal youth, who do not represent anyone," they said.
Gantz and Dagan emphasized the fact that "there is no sector more devoted to the state and who is more law-abiding than the Jewish pioneers who live in Judea and Samaria. Data of the Israel Police clearly indicate that Judea and Samaria have the lowest crime rate in the Shai District, which includes Judea and Samaria. These are the facts!"
Dagan and Gantz attacked those who slew slander and accusations against the Jewish communities of Judea and Samaria: "We strongly condemn and reject all slander and generalizations by politicians from the extreme left, who take advantage of the wrongful acts of individuals in order to generalize and shame Jewish communities in Israel and around the world. These are serious and illegal accusations and generalizations. The community of Jewish residents in Samaria stand at the forefront of community action and contribution to the Israeli society and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)."