A group of residents in Samaria set up an independent volunteer patrol to prevent Palestinian Authority Arabs from throwing rocks at Jewish vehicles on Route 55.
According to the residents, and as reported by Galei Zahal, they took the initiative following the increase in the number of stone-throwing incidents on the roads, and because the army does not provide the necessary sense of security. For them, as soon as the army makes a change in the area, they will stop "standing guard."
Minister of Immigration and Absorption Ofir Sofer (Religious Zionism) commented on the initiative: "This could be complicated and, God forbid, have dangerous outcomes. I hear the call to us and the Israeli government to provide more security on roads. We are committed to a high level of security."
At the beginning of the week, Shalom Hoter of Karnei Shomron, who was stoned on the Azzun bypass road (Route 55) in Samaria, hinted at the establishment of the patrol.
After stopping his car, which had been hit by a stone, Hoter said: "I'm calling upon the army in our region. This happened during my journey this morning from Jerusalem. This is the second time that this is happening in the same place – throwing stones at my car. These are stones that can kill."
"How much longer? Last time my children were sitting in the back. How long will we suffer this on a daily basis?" he asked, conveying a message: "If the army and the security forces are not here, we will be here. All the time."
In a separate, earlier, incident, the IDF fired at a terrorist who threw rocks at a "Tnufa" company bus, in the same area where Hoter was attacked.
As a result of the shooting, the terroriist was hit and then arrested by the force and transferred to security forces for further investigation.
One of the rocks that the terrorist threw hit the windshield of the bus and caused minor damage.