Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several ministers condemned the rioters involved in the arson and vandalism in the Arab village of Jab'a and called for them to be brought to justice.
Netanyahu stated: "I view with great severity the violent disturbances and the attempt to take the law into their own hands by a small, extremist group that does not represent the residents of Judea and Samaria. I call on the law enforcement authorities to deal with the rioters to the fullest extent of the law."
"I intend to deal with this personally, and convene the relevant ministers as soon as possible to address this serious phenomenon," he added. "I stand by the IDF and the security forces, which will continue to act resolutely and without fear to maintain order."
Defense Minister Israel Katz also called for strict action against the rioters, declaring, “There will be no leniency.”
“I give my full backing to the Central Command commander and to all the security forces now operating in the field following the violent incidents that occurred in Judea and Samaria,” Katz said on Monday evening.
He emphasized: “The government, led by Prime Minister Netanyahu, will continue to develop and strengthen settlements throughout Judea and Samaria, together with the settlement leadership, while maintaining the rule of law, the security of the residents, and regional stability. We will not tolerate attempts by a violent and criminal handful of anarchists and lawbreakers to take the law into their own hands and tarnish the settler public. We will not allow them to harm IDF soldiers, disrupt order, or divert our forces from their mission of defending Israel’s citizens and thwarting Palestinian terrorism.”
“There will be no leniency toward anyone who acts violently. The security forces will continue to operate in the field, and we will continue to fully support them,” Katz declared.
He added that in the coming weeks, the government will approve “a precedent-setting decision that will provide tools and funding for the special project coordinator appointed to this issue, Col. (res.) Avichai Tna’ami, to implement a broad and systemic response-I am confident this will bring about a significant change on the ground.”
Prime Minister
The IDF confirmed that lawbreakers had entered a Palestinian Arab village: “After the evacuation of illegal structures in the Wadi Kanub area of the Etzion Brigade, IDF, Border Police, and Israel Police forces were dispatched to the village of Jaba following reports that dozens of Israeli civilians set fire to and vandalized homes and vehicles in the area. Security forces are searching for those involved, and the incident is still ongoing.”
The IDF further stressed that “violent events divert commanders’ and soldiers’ attention from their missions of defense and counterterrorism.”
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar also condemned the violence, saying: “The Jewish rioters in Judea and Samaria harm the State of Israel, disgrace Judaism, and damage the settlement enterprise. They are not us. They are not the State of Israel. The IDF, Shin Bet, and Israel Police must act firmly and decisively to stop this rampage, which is also directed against our soldiers and police officers.”