Dayan: Prosecute those involved
Photo: Ofer Amram
Maj.-Gen. Gadi Shamni
Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Office
Olive tree uprooted by settlers
Photo: AFP
Yesha Council: Outpost evacuation is 'collective punishment'
Council chairman's letter to IDF equates destruction of West Bank outposts to settlers' 'price tag' policy
Yesha Council Chairman Dani Dayan wrote a letter to the IDF's Central Command in which he claims that the evacuation of West Bank outposts constitutes "collective punishment" of settlers for their violent acts against Palestinians.
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"The destruction of outposts is no different from attacks on Palestinians and the destruction of their property by settlers," Dayan wrote in his letter to Central Command chief Gadi Shamni.
Recently the tendency of settlers to commit violent acts against Palestinians for every outpost evacuated has been labeled a "price tag" policy. Dayan claims the state's policy is no better.
"This is the destruction of structures in the guise of law enforcement – instead of investigating, making arrests, and trying those involved in the violence," he told Ynet. "This policy is ethically no better than the 'price tag' policy."
To the IDF commander Dayan wrote, "I see this destruction and issuing of various decrees as very serious. It is collective punishment for the wrongful deeds of a few."
The Yesha Council head described the evacuation of the Federman Farm, which in his opinion was done "in a brutal manner in the middle of the night as punishment against the family, and not as an act of enforcement of construction laws".
"This is an unjust use of authority, of the worst kind," Dayan added. "I support with all my heart the bringing to justice of those who commit violent acts towards soldiers, officers, innocent Arabs, and the property of all of these, but the steps taken in these and other cases have been unacceptable and wrongful. How is this policy preferable to the foolish and unjust 'price tag'?"
Dayan concluded the letter by demanding that Shamni publish data proving that very few violent incidents have been recorded during the most recent olive harvest in the West Bank, and also that he retract reports stating the army had considered providing high-ranking IDF officials with security to protect them against Jews in the West Bank.
