Governor of the Binyamin Regional Council and Chairman of the Yesha Council, Yisrael Ganz, commented on Wednesday on events from the past few weeks caused by a small group of extremists in Judea and Samaria.
"The pictures we've seen in the last days and weeks, done by anarchists, don't represent at all the hundreds of thousands of law-following residents of Judea and Samaria, and I strongly condemn them,” he said.
“I give my full support to the IDF and police actions against these extreme anarchists who hurt IDF soldiers and civilians in the recent events. This kind of violence, which puts people's lives at risk and breaks the rule of law, is not okay in any way,” added Ganz.
“With help from our friends across the sea, we keep calling for applying sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, to bring in the rule of law and stop any harm to innocent people. We stand by the law and protecting lives, and we call on the authorities to protect citizens and arrest this small group of extremists who are stirring up trouble in the area and causing big damage," he concluded.
His comments follow a series of violent incidents in Judea and Samaria, most recently on Tuesday, when the IDF reported clashes and arrests among a group of some 50 Israelis who arrived in the Palestinian Arab villages of Beit Lid and Deir Sharaf.
“IDF soldiers were dispatched to the area of the Beit Lid and Deir Sharaf villages following a report of dozens of masked Israeli civilians who attacked Palestinians and set fire to property in the area. During the incident, four Palestinians were injured and evacuated for medical treatment. Security forces operated to disperse the confrontation using riot dispersal means and apprehended several Israeli civilians,” the IDF said.
“Later, another gathering was reported near the Baron Industrial Zone, where the masked individuals had fled. IDF soldiers dispatched to the scene, where Israeli civilians attacked IDF soldiers who were operating in the area and caused damage to a military vehicle,” it added.
On Wednesday, Samaria Regional Council Head Yossi Dagan, Kedumim Council Head Ozel Vatik, and Karnei Shomron Council Head Yonatan Kuznitz sharply condemned the violent incident involving dozens of youths in Samaria.
In a joint statement, the council leaders wrote, “We firmly reject the violence of this recurring violent group that moves from place to place and acts violently. We demand that law enforcement and security authorities deal with them decisively. There is - and must not be - any tolerance for a small band of rioters who travel from place to place with the intent to provoke unrest and behave violently.”
They added, “Such acts are grave, and everyone knows they do not represent the settlement movement, are unacceptable, and have no place in Samaria. We call on law enforcement and security authorities to act firmly against this violent fringe group, whose actions harm the settlement enterprise.”
Regarding media coverage of the events, the council heads urged a clear distinction between law-abiding residents and the violent minority.
“We expect and demand that the IDF Spokesperson, political figures, and the entire system refrain from cooperating with the smear campaign and generalizations targeting over half a million residents. Publications must clearly differentiate between these lawbreakers and the law-abiding citizens of Judea and Samaria - hundreds of thousands of loyal Israelis who contribute to the State of Israel with their bodies and souls more than any other group in Israeli society.”
In conclusion, they emphasized, “We are sickened by the political and cynical exploitation by certain politicians of this known and unruly fringe group to tarnish the reputation of all Judea and Samaria residents. Those who defame the settlement movement instead of clearly pointing to the rioters harm the entire national enterprise and its law-abiding citizens.”