Settlers taken aback by IDF's freeze enforcement plan
Many settlement residents surprised to learn of extent of force to be exercised in freeze's second phase. 'We never expected this response from the army,' says Revital Ofen, Yitzhar resident who thwarted attempted infiltration to her house by terrorist. 'Under what right do they limit my ability to use communication means?' says Shimon Cohen of Beit Aryeh
Many settlers were surprised Sunday morning to learn of the military's operational plan to enforce halt construction orders issued as part of the government decision to freeze settlement expansion. They were alarmed to discover the extent of preparation detailed in the document.
One such resident was Revital Ofen, 37, of the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar. A year ago a terrorist tried to infiltrate her house. She thwarted the attack by closing the shutter on his hands forcing him to retreat. Upon the publication of the freeze enforcement plan Ofen said that even the terrorist's attack didn’t surprise her as much as the "attack from the inside" did.
"We were aware of our neighbors' murderous nature all along, but we never expected the army's response," she said.
Nevertheless, she maintained that having endured the painful process of the Gaza pullout, the settlers would also get through the current freeze enforcement plan.
"What could be worse than that expulsion and destruction? I won't even bother reading the entire order. This land's pioneers have been treated this way for some years now, but we're not here because of the government, and we won’t leave because of it either.
"This is our land, we built our home ourselves and no one will tell us to destroy it. We are Zionists, but the systems are rotten and we reached this state due to lack of values. The people voted for the Right and it has strengthened along the years but the government keeps turning to the Left. We shall keep doing what we do until the systems come to their senses," she said.
"I honestly don't know what they want from us," said Shimon Cohen, 59, a resident of Beit Aryeh. "At the time Sharon decided to change the outline plan and enter us into the green line and people came here on that basis. The construction in Beit Aryeh is completely legal with all the necessary permits.
"The Israel Land Administration gave us grounds to sell, people took mortgages, they wanted us to enlarge the community and allow more residents in. They'd better deal with the communities whose building is illegal first. How are we different than Caesarea?"
'Violation of civil rights'
Cohen stressed that Beit Aryeh is a moderate and mostly secular community and therefore its residents find it hard to come to terms with being part of the freeze plan. "Cellular screening? Not contacting the media? It's a violation of civil rights, it's my legitimate right and anyone else's to own a telephone and Internet line. Under what right do they limit my ability to use communication means?
"Other than that, people need it for business. On the one hand you freeze construction and on the other you prevent private business?"
Zehava Tamir, 27, a resident of the Kedumim settlement said that the IDF's plan was laughable. "There's a feeling that someone is panicking, it sounds like they're stressed by us and I wonder why we're such a threat to them.
"Currently we're abiding by the law, our protest is legitimate; we filed a petition with the High Court of Justice against this warrant together with three other families, since we started construction prior to the order. We don’t feel any need to build illegally, right now we're trying to adhere to the law," she said.
Tamir noted that the State is only reminded of them on two extreme occasions. "Either there are military actions and our sons are fighting in the battlefield or we're made into enemies. They are trying to turn a creative productive group into the enemy and that legitimizes extremists," she said.
Nevertheless, Tamir doesn't consider the IDF an enemy and even sympathized with the soldiers. "I know how hard it is for the soldiers and I wish the army wasn't involved in this since it's not their job."
Naama Lanir contributed to this report
