Yisrael Ganz, Governor of the Binyamin Regional Council and Chairman of the Yesha Council, responded to the events in Qusra in which a group of Israelis reportedly attempted to take over a Palestinian Arab house. The family within refused to leave, creating a prolonged confrontation that ultimately saw Israeli forces called to remove the civilians. The Israelis also attempted to block the road into the town after being forcibly removed from the area around the house.
“The events in Qusra are serious and do not reflect our values or our way of conducting ourselves. There is no place for individuals to take matters into their own hands and establish an outpost in someone’s backyard, even when dealing with an illegal home or an attempt to seize control of the land. There is no justification whatsoever for violence against uninvolved civilians or security forces," Ganz declared.
"There is no doubt that some are exploiting these events as part of a campaign against the Jewish communities, but that must not obscure the simple truth: what happened in Qusra was wrong and is unacceptable to us."
"We are leading, and will continue to lead, the Jewish communities in Binyamin and throughout Judea and Samaria with determination and responsibility, through an orderly and proper process. At the same time, I call on the Israeli government to cancel the Oslo Accords and enable legitimate, regulated Jewish communities throughout the open areas."