Last night, reservists who provided security duties in the town of Anatot in the Binyamin Regional Council completed their tour of duty and left the region. With their departure, the town was left without security and the entrance gate was left wide open, with nobody to guard the site, according to a report by Kan.
Residents of Anatot turned to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who arranged funding for a guard. "I funded a guard, but is it the minister's job to find a guard? The council should use the funds I transferred to find a guard for the town," Ben-Gvir said to Arutz Sheva - Israel National News.
In a WhatsApp group, concerned residents wrote, "Because of ego, will the next massacre happen to us next?". One resident suggested that reservists who had served remain temporarily to guard the town until a solution was found, but was met with an angry response. "What, don't they have lives? What nerve." Another resident warned, "Are you kidding? Our children are in kindergartens here — what is this recklessness?"
The Binyamin Regional Council said, "The unreasonable reality occurring today only in Judea and Samaria, whereby residents must pay out of pocket for the protection and security of the towns in which they live, is simply unacceptable. It would be appropriate for the state to ensure its security just as it ensures the citizens in the rest of the country."
There has been no comment from the Border Police, who are officially responsible for the town's security.