West Bank settlement (archive photo)
צילום: שאול גולן
Extremists tear down Israeli flag
In illegal outpost 851, extremist Jews demand IDF soldiers take Israeli flag down: ‘This hill is not the State of Israel; it is a halachic state.’ Shocked soldiers, who refuse to comply, attacked by extremists who managed tear flag down. Settlement secretariat: These were Breslov Hassidim, who were guests in outpost
Extremists in illegal outpost 851 in the settlement of Itamar attacked soldiers who were guarding the area in order to take down the Israeli flag.
"This hill is not the land of Israel" they said, "It is a halachic state." The unit commander instructed his soldiers to surround the flag and protect it, but the extremists attacked them and managed to tear down the flag.
This is an unprecedented low point in the relationship between the extreme right and the IDF and Israeli government. In the early morning, a group of Hassidic Jews residing in the illegal outpost approached the living quarters of IDF soldiers protecting the settlement and demanded that they take down the flag stationed, as in every IDF outpost, on the premises. It turns out that there are those who react to this flag with contempt rather than with national pride.
"The flag offends our sensibilities," the extremists told the soldiers. "This hill represents the nation of Israel and not the state of Israel. This is a Halachic state and there is no place for the Israeli flag here." The soldiers, shocked by the demand, naturally refused to comply. Their commander ordered them to surround the flag and protect it.
Despite the soldiers' resistance, one the extremists managed to tear down the flag and the soldiers were forced to resort to using physical contact in an attempt to regain it. In an investigation of the event by the head of Central Command, the soldiers reported that they were "beaten with sticks, had their stomachs kicked and that one of them was hit by a rock."
'Residents of Itamar are Zionists'
Pursuant to the incident, commanders of the Samaria Division and the Judea and Samarian Brigade demanded explanations from leaders of the Itamar settlement and emphasized that they would not accept any attacks on their soldiers or on the national flag. In the past, the IDF pulled troops out of Yitzhar settlement following settlers' attacks on IDF soldiers serving there.
The settlement was also in an uproar: In the afternoon, following the discussion with the IDF regional commanders, the settlement secretariat published a public statement denunciating the extremists' actions and claiming that they were not residents of Itamar or its neighboring outposts.
According to the statement: "The perpetrators were Breslev Hassidim who, in the past few days, stayed in one of the outposts as guests. We promise to remove them from the settlement. Residents of Itamar are Zionists who take pride in the national flag. These individuals do not represent Itamar residents or settlers in general."
"To what point have we gotten when soldiers are asked to take down their nation's flag?" asked one officer from the Judea and Samaria Brigade.
The IDF spokesperson's office announced Sunday night: "The IDF takes this very seriously and decries any harm or violence against its soldiers or against IDF equipment of any kind. The flag will be flown in any place where IDF soldiers serve to protect the nation's citizens. The issue of physical violence against IDF soldiers has been passed on to the police."
It is worth noting that one of Itamar's residents is incoming chief military chaplain, Brig.-Gen. Avi Rontzeki, who is scheduled to begin his new position in the upcoming days.
