Yitzhar settlers on Thursday night accused the IDF of imposing a curfew on their settlement for hours after they had protested the opening of the nearby road to Arabs, exposing the residents once again to terrorist violence.
Torat IDF (Torat Lechima) tweeted Thursday night:
“Jews came out to protest [Central Command Commander General Yehuda] Fox’s opening of the Gilead highway to terrorists, this after endless attacks on the roads in Judea and Samaria which followed Fox’s zeal for opening the roads to the enemy.
“In response, Fox blocked the highway to Jews.
“It’s just as crazy as if the Commander of the Southern Command would open the road for the Hamas pickup trucks and take revenge on the residents of Bari who went out to protest.
“Maybe it’s time to appoint a commanding general who doesn’t hate Jews so much and loves Arabs.”
Some 200 residents of the Yitzhar and nearby settlements held a march Thursday evening on Gilad Road to protest the IDF’s decision to open the road to Arab traffic, which meant an increase in drive-by shootings and firebombings. In response, large police and army forces arrived at the scene and tried to prevent the march from taking place. One Yitzhar resident who marched with his children was arrested. Half an hour later, after the forces had failed to prevent the Jews from marching, the police were instructed to impose a complete curfew on the exit road from Yitzhar, as well as to completely block the Gilead highway to Jewish traffic.
Local Jewish residents pointed out that General Fox was more interested in the Arabs’ freedom of movement than in preserving Jewish lives.
