Land of Israel activists in Judea and Samaria are not willing to ignore what they feel are arbitrary acts of collective punishment of the Jewish population by IDF officers.

Danny Dayan, head of the Yesha Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria, who is considered a “moderate” among the Land of Israel activists and less inclined to clash with the authorities, has written a sharp letter to IDF Central Commander Maj.-Gen. Gad Shamni, accusing his forces of acting against the law.

Dayan’s letter focuses largely on the destruction of two homes and a synagogue in the Yad Yair outpost last September by IDF officers – in violation of a court order to suspend the destruction.  Residents have recently filed a court suit against the officers involved.

"Yes, it’s true that investigating, finding the suspects, and collecting evidence is hard work. It’s much easier to impose administrative and collective punishments..."

The letter states:

“As you well know, I view very gravely the violent incidents that preceded and followed the destruction at Yad Yair. I expressed this in the media, in the Knesset committee, in military forums, and in what is perhaps the most important venue, within settlement circles…

“However, respect for the law and for behavior norms are not a one-way street. Just as they obligate citizens, they also obligate – perhaps even more so – the state authorities and the security forces.

“When we view the facts of this case, it is hard not to conclude that the forces under you acted in Yad Yair in violation of the law, and even created a deceptive show of dialogue in order to fool the settlers. If there is something that harms the ‘delicate and complex relations between the settlement enterprise and the army,’ as you called it, this is it.

“I am of the opinion that officers should not be sued personally, except in exceptional cases… But the main thing, in my opinion, is this: I am of the opinion that if the IDF had carefully and transparently checked the claim that the destruction of Yad Yair was purposely done in violation of a Supreme Court order, it is likely that there would have been no need to sue the officers monetarily in order to clarify the matter.

“If the army had acted on its own initiative to investigate the incident, as it did [in other cases], it is likely that this suit never would have been filed.

“Furthermore: As I have told you more than once in the past, I view very gravely the custom to carry out acts of destruction and to impose various decrees as collective punishment for unacceptable acts by individuals. 

“When certain people did certain unacceptable acts in Yad Yair and in Horesh Yaron – instead of investigating and prosecuting those who were responsible, you destroyed Yad Yair. The Federman farm was brutally razed in the middle of the night as a form of punishment against the family, and not as an act of enforcement of building laws. Preventing class trips of schools in Hevron and Kiryat Arba was simply a punishment for the damage done to the fence around the town, in place of investigating and trying those responsible.

“These are examples of abuse of authority of the worst degree. It’s true that investigating, finding the suspects, collecting evidence and executing justice is hard work. It’s much easier to impose administrative and collective punishments. But this is totally unacceptable behavior that cannot be allowed to occur in our country and in the relationship between the army and the citizens.

“In order that there be no misunderstanding, let me emphasize again what you well know: I totally support meting out justice to those who commit crimes of violence against policemen, soldiers, innocent Arabs and their property. But the approach that you have taken in these and other cases is totally unacceptable…

Waiting for Shamni

“…I am still waiting for you to publicize, as you promised me, the true data proving that the recent Arab olive harvest season experienced a minuscule number of Jewish violent incidents – which would give the lie to the media’s libels against the settlers. I am also still waiting for you to publicly deny the news item issued by the IDF to the effect that the army was considering providing top IDF officers in Judea and Samaria with protection against Jews – an item that you told me privately was totally contrived.”