The Rabbi of the Binyamin region community of Ofra, Rabbi Ahiya Ben-Pazi, issued a strong condemnation of the actions of some of those who identify with the Hilltop Youth movement.
In a statement he published, he warns against independent actions that cross red lines and harm the public and the movement to settle Judea and Samaria.
According to Rabbi Ben-Pazi, "It sometimes happens that a group of youths go to settle a hilltop and they think that it is fulfilling the prophecies and is bringing redemption. In the name of the ‘mission’ they claim to carry out alone and by their own strength, they consider it permissible to drive recklessly and without licenses, desecrate the Sabbath, and above all - steal from Arab residents, farmers, and Jewish settlers, as well as public property, alongside initiatives of aggression and violence.”
Rabbi Ben-Pazi explains that the root of their mistake is the youths' self-image: "Thinking that they are the nation, its pioneers, and defenders, and whatever is permissible for the military and police, is certainly acceptable for the true pioneers of our time: the teens and youths from the hilltop communities. This is a terrible mistake, which leads to the worst actions, and it threatens the settlement movement and Israel's national security."
This being said, the rabbi stresses that this does not rule out protesting and independent initiatives: "It is okay to disagree with the government's policies and the positions of the local leaders in Judea and Samaria. You can have an influence, and it is permissible to take independent actions. But even youths with ideology can't cross lines."
He concludes his statement comparing far-left-wing activists to those on the far-right: "There is a thin and hidden line between the anarchist actions of setting fire to dumpsters outside the Prime Minister's Residence and setting fire to vehicles next to the home of residents of an Arab village by right-wing youths. Both threaten unity, the public, and sovereignty, and with their zeal, they remove the Divine Presence from among us."