Halutz condemns "thuggish" protesters

A total of 50 punctured tires, damaged military vehicles, and a burned down army van is only part of the damage reported in the aftermath of the evacuation of a new West Bank outpost erected illegally near the settlement of Elon Moreh.

Army officers later said settlers were out of control and added the situation was worse than during disengagement.

Clearing the outpost (Photo: Sharon Katz)

Chief of Staff Dan Halutz released a statement in which hashly “condemns the thuggish acts that accompanied the clearance.”

“Physical and verbal abuse have no place in the country… IDF soldiers and commanders work day and night to provide security for citizens. The IDF and police will work tirelessly in order to ensure that the criminals are tracked and face justice for their acts,” said Halutz.

Earlier, Palestinians have reported that settlers from the Kiriyat Arba settlement attacked residents n Hebron. They claimed that the attackers took over a number of shops in the area and walked armed with sticks and metal bars, and are harassing people passing by.

Residents also say that Israeli police and soldiers are not entering the scene, since they themselves have been attacked repeatedly.

Troops began evacuating the outpost at 2:30 a.m. Thursday, after the ultimatum issued to the settlers there expired. About 150 youths gathered at the scene and hurled insults at the incoming troops, the army said, including “Nazis” and “your mother must be turning in her grave when she sees what you’re doing.”

A high-ranking officer was dispatched to the scene, but a group of five youngsters blocked the jeep he was traveling in and began puncturing its tires. Meanwhile, a clash broke out between some of the youngsters and troops. The settlers then proceeded to rip off the officer’s shirt and ranks. The officer was also punched in his right eye, before the rioters escaped.

Meanwhile, the forces continued to evacuate the outpost and placed many youths on an IDF military transport vehicle. However, at 6 a.m., after the vehicle began traveling towards Ariel, settlers punctures more tires and hurled stones at soldiers, while about 30 detainees rioted inside the vehicle, broke windows, and devastated other equipment. At one point, one of them torched a chair, forcing IDF troops to rescue the youngsters before they succumb to the fire.

The evacuation was finally completed around 7 a.m.

'Worse than pullout'

"The youths are beginning to lose their direction," IDF sources told Ynet, after summarizing Wednesday night's events. "It has gone beyond what happened during disengagement; there we knew we were carrying out a government decision and that it would end within one-to-two days. Here, we see (violence) going up. They've lost control."

"Specifically during a period of terror attacks, when the forces are supposed to act against the terror organizations, we are forced to deploy soldiers against settlers," the sources added.

"The very settlers that we have to protect day and night are precisely the ones attacking us. Today it's hitting, and tomorrow - we don't want to think about that," they said. "It is a legitimate battle, but it has gone beyond all limits."

The military sources that spoke with Ynet blamed the settler leadership for this recent upraising.

"An eight-year-old child does not just do something without their parents or leaders' guidance. Their leaders cause the youths to act they way they do. We are calling for them to regain their composure and not lose control."

‘Youths fighting next pullout’

The IDF is planning to lodge a complaint with Ariel Police in order to stop those behind the disorder. In response to the army’s claims, Benny Katzover, a settler leader and resident of Elon Moreh, told Ynet: “The youths are fighting a war to prevent the next disengagement, and their behavior should be seen from this context. This time, it (another pullout) will never happen.”

Katzover, who learned of the overnight incidents this morning, added: “The feeling is that the IDF is operating today out of a desire to satisfy the government, and in response to American pressure.”

The hilltop youths have also received the backing of rabbis. Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, of the Ateret Cohanim yeshiva, published an opinion piece under the headline: “Orange is waking up.”

“How good it is to see our wonderful youth… it knows this is our land, the land of Israel and not the land of Ishmael, and we therefore commanded, in accordance with our heritage, history, and nation, to settle our land everywhere. We have in our midst the power of youth, the promise of our future, healthy forces which we see as representatives of the entire nation... we are not like our rabbi Moses. In our time, the Land of Israel should not be viewed from afar and longed for - its time to come to the land, to build it and settle it everywhere.”

Earlier, Interior Minister Ophir Pines-Paz wrote a letter to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and slammed government inaction when it comes to illegal outposts.

“On some occasions restraint is interpreted as weakness, and the Israeli government must start treating lawbreakers at the illegal outposts with a firm hand, dismantle existing outposts, and adopt all necessary measures in order to prevent the erection of new outposts,” Pines-Paz said.

Ronny Sofer, Ali Waked, and Ilan Marciano contributed to the story