Defense Minister Ehud Barak's call for tougher police-and-jail measures against the Jews of Judea and Samaria has aroused both anger and scorn in the right-wing camp. Barak called upon the police to increase their use of administrative detention and distancing orders against right-wing activists in Judea and Samaria.
Two months ago, the army issued orders to three Jews of Judea and Samaria, forbidding them from entering their homes, or anywhere in Judea and Samaria, for the next 3-4 months.
Women in Green responds that Barak wants to "return Israel to Argentina-style dictatorship," while MK Uri Ariel says he is merely seeking to avoid dropping in the polls by pandering to the left-wing. Baruch Marzel of Hevron warns that Barak's words are likely to ignite even more trouble.
Ariel: Barak's orders for more administrative orders "stands in opposition to a Knesset decision of two years ago, to guidelines issued by former Attorney General Elyakim Rubenstein, and to a Supreme Court ruling regarding selective law enforcement."
Knesset Member Ariel (National Union) said, "Barak is looking for headlines and clashes [with the right-wing] in order to extricate himself from his plunge in the polls."
Barak's orders to increase use of administrative orders, Ariel said, "stands in opposition to a Knesset decision of two years ago, to guidelines issued by former Attorney General Elyakim Rubenstein, and to a Supreme Court ruling regarding selective law enforcement."
"We are confident that the public authorities such as the IDF and the police will not agree to serve as Barak's pawns in order to serve his last-gasp political needs," Ariel concluded.
The administrative detention orders Barak has called for are left over from British Mandate days and were designed to be used against terrorists. Persons served with such undemocratic orders need not be shown the charges or suspicions against them.
Women in Green's statement reads as follows: "The Olmert-Barak-Abbas government - which, by the way, has already issued administrative orders against Land of Israel-loving Jews over the past two years - wants to return us to the dark and dictatorial regime of the type that was in Argentina. There, too, it started with persecution, restraining orders and distancing orders by the government against activists, and then continued with kidnappings and the disappearance of thousands of people."
Baruch Marzel of Hevron, head of the Jewish National Front movement, said, "The use of administrative orders will not deter us or silence us. Barak is unable to control the Arab and left-wing rioters in Naalin and Bil'in, so he tries to be a big hero against good Jews. Using these orders will only ignite the situation even more."