Immediately after Friday's shooting attack, in which Sgt. Yossi Atiya was killed and three other soldiers were wounded, Israeli officials rushed to say that the army would not change its low-profile deployment. However, it was added, if there were further attacks, a change would be considered.
A telling example of the policy occurred yesterday. An IDF company commander in the Shechem (Nablus) area in the Shomron was asked to check a suspicious car on the southern-Shechem bypass road. He arrived at the site and identified an armed Arab. The officer confiscated the weapon and wished to arrest its bearer, but when he contacted the Division Headquarters, he was instructed to return the weapon and release the Arab.
A military source confirmed to Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai Huberman that the Arab was released in the framework of the IDF's PA-election policy, by which registered armed PA para-military policemen are permitted to travel. The previous policy will be restored only after the votes are counted and a winner is declared, and any Arab found to be armed will be arrested.
Yesha Council Director Bentzi Lieberman told Army Radio this morning that the IDF's decision to relax security restrictions in Judea and Samaria is dangerous for Israelis.
The army has removed 14 dirt blockades in Shomron areas in order to enable easier access for PA voters. However, army sources say, the checkpoints remain as usual, and restrictions on private vehicles remain as well, because the voters cast their ballots in their own towns. Candidates and observers can travel almost totally freely.
The Jewish residents are not pleased with these arrangements, especially after Friday's attack. "If they would have caught the terrorists a second before the attack," one said, "they probably would have let them go as well – with their weapons."
Despite the Israeli gestures that apparently leading to the death of Sgt. Atiya, PA officials are complaining that Israel is not doing enough. PA minister Saeb Erekat told international observers – dozens of whom are here to ensure that Israel does nothing wrong - that Israel has not kept its promise to remove troops and "is threatening to undermine free and fair elections."
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom was, once again, forced to be on the defensive. "Israel is doing everything it can," he said, "to ensure proper elections and allow free travel so long as it does not endanger security. We have open lines of communication with the head of the team of observers, and they can turn to me with any problem."
The police detained a number of Jews outside the Jaffa Gate of the Old City, who protested against the holding of elections for PA chief in Israel's capital city. MK Uri Ariel (National Union) registered his complaint against the police activity in a note to Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra. Ariel asked Ezra to "allow the residents to express their protest. Detentions of this sort are merely a way of shutting their mouths. Democracy is not one-way."
MK Ariel is miffed in general at the decision to allow the PA five polling stations in the eastern part of Israel's capital. He said that by doing so, "Prime Minister Sharon is effectively dividing the city."
A telling example of the policy occurred yesterday. An IDF company commander in the Shechem (Nablus) area in the Shomron was asked to check a suspicious car on the southern-Shechem bypass road. He arrived at the site and identified an armed Arab. The officer confiscated the weapon and wished to arrest its bearer, but when he contacted the Division Headquarters, he was instructed to return the weapon and release the Arab.
A military source confirmed to Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai Huberman that the Arab was released in the framework of the IDF's PA-election policy, by which registered armed PA para-military policemen are permitted to travel. The previous policy will be restored only after the votes are counted and a winner is declared, and any Arab found to be armed will be arrested.
Yesha Council Director Bentzi Lieberman told Army Radio this morning that the IDF's decision to relax security restrictions in Judea and Samaria is dangerous for Israelis.
The army has removed 14 dirt blockades in Shomron areas in order to enable easier access for PA voters. However, army sources say, the checkpoints remain as usual, and restrictions on private vehicles remain as well, because the voters cast their ballots in their own towns. Candidates and observers can travel almost totally freely.
The Jewish residents are not pleased with these arrangements, especially after Friday's attack. "If they would have caught the terrorists a second before the attack," one said, "they probably would have let them go as well – with their weapons."
Despite the Israeli gestures that apparently leading to the death of Sgt. Atiya, PA officials are complaining that Israel is not doing enough. PA minister Saeb Erekat told international observers – dozens of whom are here to ensure that Israel does nothing wrong - that Israel has not kept its promise to remove troops and "is threatening to undermine free and fair elections."
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom was, once again, forced to be on the defensive. "Israel is doing everything it can," he said, "to ensure proper elections and allow free travel so long as it does not endanger security. We have open lines of communication with the head of the team of observers, and they can turn to me with any problem."
The police detained a number of Jews outside the Jaffa Gate of the Old City, who protested against the holding of elections for PA chief in Israel's capital city. MK Uri Ariel (National Union) registered his complaint against the police activity in a note to Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra. Ariel asked Ezra to "allow the residents to express their protest. Detentions of this sort are merely a way of shutting their mouths. Democracy is not one-way."
MK Ariel is miffed in general at the decision to allow the PA five polling stations in the eastern part of Israel's capital. He said that by doing so, "Prime Minister Sharon is effectively dividing the city."