Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, in a letter he sent on Monday to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav, demanded the halt of the Palestinian olive harvest near Jewish communities and roads in Judea and Samaria.
In addition, as part of the lessons learned from the Hamas massacre in southern Israel, Smotrich asked that sterile security zones be created around Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.
Smotrich wrote in the letter: "In recent weeks, I reached out to you several times, personally and during cabinet meetings, with the demand to shake up the security conception in Judea and Samaria at this time, with an emphasis on creating sterile security zones around towns and roads, and to prevent the entry of Arabs into them, including to harvest olives."
According to him, "The matter is important for at least three reasons: first of all, security and to distance Arabs who can exploit the harvest to carry out terror attacks. Second, the feeling of security given the sensitivity of the public and the enlistment of many of the men to reserves which leaves the women and children by themselves. Third, prevention of friction, which can lead to a flare-up in the region and cause international damage."
Smotrich noted that "in all of the discussions, it would appear that this is agreed on and during a discussion that was held last week, led by the PM and in the presence of the Defense Minister, IDF Cheif of Staff, the Shin Bet Director and others, the Prime Minister instructed the Chief of Staff to look into the matter."
The Minister wrote further: "Absurdly, not only did the policy not change, the Central Command does as in the past, allows and even requires the implementation of the harvest while expending a large number of forces for the task."
The Minister attacked: "With all due respect, this is craziness that I am unwilling to accept any longer. You can not claim on one hand that there is a lack of manpower and demand the transfer of funds to the Palestinians to prevent an escalation, which would require more forces and then waste forces on this dangerous absurdity. You can't claim that friction harms the war effort and international legitimacy and not do the minimum needed to reduce that friction to a minimum by creating those security zones and removing anarcho-leftist activists who ignite matters."
Smotrich added: "All this comes after a severe terror attack on Thursday in which a reservist for Einav was murdered and after three shooting attacks at communities and roads on Saturday. Someone is getting lost, and the writing is already on the wall. And with all due respect, I am not willing to be part of it. For two months, I yelled in the cabinet, and I was answered with disdain and silenced. The price is being paid by all of us today. No more. I will not agree for more blood to be spilled because of me and on my conscience because of an insistence not to change a skewed conception and not to learn the lessons from the events of Simchat Torah for Judea and Samaria as well."
The letter concludes: "I demand that a written order is immediately sent by the diplomatic rank to the IDF to create those wide security zones around the communities and roads and to prevent Arabs from getting close to them (I remind you of my proposal in this regard to recompensate anyone who loses money on the harvest because of this). In addition, and in accordance with the cabinet's decision on Thursday, I demand to hold a discussion in the cabinet this week in which the IDF presents its deployment in Judea and Samaria in a detailed manner."