Barak: Leave IDF out of political debate

Defense Minister Ehud Barak urged West Bank settlers on Tuesday to "leave the IDF out of the political debate."

Barak, who was visiting an Israel Defense Forces base near the northern city of Carmiel, called on "the responsible forces in the Israeli settlement (movement) of the West Bank… not to push the IDF and the security forces into (political) corners.

"Israel's security forces are the State's subordinates and they will have to ensure the laws of Israel are upheld," said Barak.

The defense minister called on the settlers "to draw a line and differentiate between those who respect this country's authority and those who don’t."

Speaking about the recent events

surrounding the disputed house in the West Bank city of Hebron, and the threats made against IDF forces in that respect, Barak said that Israel is a state of law and that "we cannot accept attempts by small fringe groups to destabilize the State's authority."

Barak expressed his hope that the situation in Hebron would not escalate.