Dozens of Border Police officers made their way to the town of Nokdim, in Judea, to remove trees from the center of the town.
A large number of residents of the town gathered and attempted to prevent the removal, but were kept away by the officers. Footage of the incident shows one of the officers throwing an elderly man to the ground.
Gush Etzion Regional Council Mayor Yaron Rosenthal criticized the decision:
"It is worrying that in the middle of a war, when our forces are stretched to the limit, and while the Arab illegal construction is rampant, the Civil Administration chooses to send forces to uproot saplings in the heart of Nokdim. Someone here is confused.”
MK Simcha Rothman denounced the operation as well: “Don't believe anyone who tells you that the IDF doesn't have enough manpower. Defense Minister Gallant sent 30 soldiers and officers in the middle of a fast to uproot a few trees in Nokdim. A few meters from here, the Palestinian Authority is building an entire city in the middle of a nature preserve in violation of the Oslo Accords, and the Civil Administration does nothing. We have gone completely crazy!”
MK Rothman asked the officers to wait for twenty minutes while he clarified the matter with the Defense Minister and the Prime Minister's Office. The operation continued after the time had elapsed.
Residents of the town believe that the operation was undertaken due to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant's trip to the USA as a way to show action against residents of Judea and Samaria.
The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories claimed that the enforcement carried out included dozens of trees planted on private Palestinian land in Nokdim, and that the trees represented a recurring invasion that had been evicted at least once in the past. The enforcement was carried out in accordance with the law and the state’s commitment to the Supreme Court on the matter.
A security source commented to Arutz Sheva - Israel National News that the enforcement was approved by Finance Minister Smotrich’s department in the Defense Ministry.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stated: “Defense Minister Gallant took the provocative step of sending forces during a fast to uproot trees in the heart of a town. I am sorry that the Defense Minister is trying to flatter the Americans before his visit, and prefers PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Austin over settlement. That’s not how the Defense Minister of Israel should be.”
MK Revital Gotliv (Likud) demanded that Smotrich resign: “Minister Smotrich, I suggest that you resign from your position in the defense ministry. You are supposed to be managing the civil administration, and the uprooting of trees taking place under your authority is a disgrace to all of us. They allow Palestinians to build as they please in Judea and Samaria, against the notorious Oslo Accords. Where is Smotrich, who is supposed to be responsible for the Civil Administration?”
Smotrich, with the approval of the Prime Minister, ordered the uprooting to stop. IDF General Yehudah Fox, who is appointed over the Central Command, ordered it to continue.
