National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir recently established a special team within the Judea and Samaria Police precinct under his command, to operate against left-wing agents provocateurs in the liberated territories, Ynet reported on Tuesday.
The team includes several precinct detectives who collaborate with Immigration Police and Interior Ministry officials. Their goal is to search and locate activists who damage the security and stability in Judea and Samaria.
A security official explained that “the role of the model we established is to respond to three main issues:
- Foreign citizens who come here from all over the world straight to the territories and create provocations against IDF soldiers in different places.
- Tourists who come here under the guise of a visit, but arrive at the same places of friction in Judea and Samaria.
- Israeli citizens who confront IDF soldiers in various locations.
“This team has been operating for two weeks and people have been arrested,” the security official told Ynet.
During a debate at the Foreign and Defense Committee’s sub-committee on Jewish affairs chaired by MK Zvi Sukkot (Religious Zionism) about a month ago, the commander of the Judea and Samaria detectives unit Avishi Moalem revealed that 50% of the complaints submitted by left-wing activists against the IDF and settlers were false.
The new team is already operating, and on Thursday, two weeks ago, two American citizens were detained for questioning on suspicion of interfering with IDF soldiers during a large-scale exercise. Two well-known Israeli left-wing activists were also detained, after they, too, interfered with the IDF exercise.
The Americans and Israelis were banned from Judea and Samaria for a limited time. Two weeks ago, a British man and a French woman were detained by the same unit and expelled from Israel permanently.
Ynet reported emerging tension between Ben Gvir and Central Command Commander General Yehuda Fox as both officials claim the right to carry out police actions in Judea and Samaria. Ben Gvir’s move reflects the rage of Jewish settlers over the taunting attacks they face regularly from leftist agents provocateurs and PA Arabs. Fox, for his part, has created a new unit comprised of Shin Bet and Border Guard officials which acts sans communication with the police or with Ben Gvir.
Fox has been on a tear against Jewish settlers, demolishing their homes even as they mourn their loved ones who have been murdered by local Arabs or in the war in Gaza.
