The wave of violence against farmers in the Hebron Hills reached a new peak last night (Sunday) with a planned and violent attack in which five farmers were wounded and required medical treatment.
This was the fifth such attack in just one week, reflecting a troubling escalation in activity targeting farms in the area. The Mount Hebron Regional Council is warning of a serious deterioration in the security situation.
According to IDF data, areas where agricultural farms operate have seen a significant decline in smuggling and illegal movement. The farms, located along strategic routes, have become a natural defensive line against terrorism, drug trafficking, and crime.
In addition to physical violence, the farmers are also coping with a growing presence of far-left and anarchist activists, who, according to the council, deliberately create provocations and present a distorted picture of reality.
“This is a systematic attempt to smear the farmers and divert public attention from the attacks they are suffering and from the security mission they are carrying out," the council said.
Eliram Azulay, head of the Mount Hebron Regional Council, is demanding that the army and police immediately increase military and law-enforcement presence in what he calls “the black hole of the south," through which drugs and terror infiltrate Israel.
“Our farmers are protecting, with their own bodies, the security of all Israeli citizens, and the data proves they are doing so successfully," Azulay said. “We will not allow anarchist provocations or violent aggression to deter us. We will continue to build farms and serve as an anchor of defense for the state so that terror does not enter the Negev. The army and the state must recognize the farms as a strategic asset and provide them with the proper security protection."