Four Israeli anarchists who took part in a violent attack on the fledgling community of Adei Ad in Samaria on Wednesday were released just hours after they were arrested. Arabs and Israeli leftists who were granted permission to harvest olives near the town went on a rampage, attacking a Jewish home, brutally killing a guard dog, and burning holy books. Most attackers fled when Jewish residents of the town returned from their own olive harvest, but four were captured and detained until police arrived. Their release sparked protest from the Judea and Samaria Human Rights Group, which accused police of bias against Jewish farmers.
While several Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria have been forbidden to enter the area during the olive harvest for fear that they might interfere with Arab farmers, the group said, Jewish farmers are not protected. Arabs often abuse their ability to access olive orchards near Jewish communities in order to attack, members of the group pointed out. Inadequate enforcement of the law on local Arabs puts Jewish farmers in danger, they said.
Human Rights group head Orit Struck wrote a letter to GOC Central Command Gabi Shamni asking him to explain the situation. Stuck demanded that Shamni say why the anarchists were released, under what conditions they were released, whether or not they will be forbidden to enter Judea and Samaria and if so, for what period of time. In addition, she asked him to say what steps are being taken to prevent Arabs given permission to harvest olives near Jewish communities from exploiting the situation to attack Jews and Jewish property.
Struck also took issue with Shamni's failure to reply to previous inquiries. “Almost two months ago I asked you to address the intolerable rift between the defense granted by law enforcement agencies to different groups in Judea and Samaria: the over-enforcement meant to protect the Arab farmer, next to the under-enforcement that abandons the Jewish farmer and his field,” she began.
"For whatever reason, you haven't seen fit to answer my letter, despite the fact that the law requires you to do so,” Struck continued. “However, you did manage in that time to sign more exile-orders for Jewish residents of the region. I remind you again of the important principle of equality before the law, which is the foundation stone of the rule of law that you oversee.”
Last week, three Arab men attempted to infiltrate the town of Har Bracha in Samaria after getting permission to enter the area in order to harvest olives. The three were spotted and fled, and were later arrested in a nearby village.