The Arabs of Judea and Samaria on Sunday night discovered what happens when the Jews retaliate. To the vociferous expressions of shock on the part of the Israeli president and prime minister and their calls on citizens not to “take the law into their own hands,” the Jews of Judea and Samaria avenged the murdered brothers Hillel Menachem and Yigal Yaakov Yaniv (2 Jewish Brothers Killed by Drive-By Fire on Rt. 60 near Shechem).
Radio host Yotam Zimri said on a Channel 14 panel Sunday night (I paraphrase): revenge is indeed God’s domain, but there’s such a thing as hishdalus-effort, to help God get started.
Evening prayer in burning Hawara:
תפילת ערבית ב-חווארה סמוך למקום הרצח המזעזע pic.twitter.com/7h7coxsSZx
— בז news (@1717Bazz) February 26, 2023
According to the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry, Sameh Hamdallah Aqtash, 37, died of severe wounds he sustained from live bullets in the abdomen during the settlers’ attack on the town of Za’tara. It isn’t yet clear whether it was settler or friendly fire that killed him, but one suspects there won’t be an inquiry to settle the issue.
According to the Red Crescent, 390 Arabs were injured, including 250 who suffered smoke inhalation, as a result of the settlers’ setting buildings and cars on fire in the Hawara and Za’tara, south of Shechem.
Al-Quds reported that two PA civil defense officers from Burin were injured by settlers who attacked their vehicle near the Salman Al-Farsi roundabout in Hawara. They were responding to a call to extinguish a fire that broke out in a local house. When they reached the location, some 50 settlers attacked them with stones.
The settlers burned many homes, facilities, and vehicles, destroying several houses in other villages in the Shechem vicinity. They also stoned a vehicle belonging to the Jenin Health Directorate and broke its windows.
Happening now: Israeli settlers are burning Palestinian houses, cars and shops in Huwarra near Nablus , Palestinians has no protections. pic.twitter.com/tS0FyVloL1
— Issa Amro عيسى عمرو ?? (@Issaamro) February 26, 2023
Kan 11 correspondent Roi Sharon wrote Sunday night: “I have seen riots and pogroms after murderous and deadly attacks like the one that happened today. I have never seen anything like this – this is the record of records, it will go down in the history of loss of control by the security apparatus and the leadership.”
Religious Zionism Chairman, Minister Bezalel Smotrich, called on the settlers to stop the clashes in Hawara. “My fellow settlers, the pain is great, but believe me we are working hard to provide a real answer to terrorism, both militarily and through settling the land. Since the terrible attack, we have been busy only with this. But we must not take the law into our hands and create a dangerous anarchy that could get out of control and cost human lives. Let us as a political echelon formulate the answer and let the IDF win in Israel.”
Security officials criticized the lax preparation of IDF forces ahead of the entry of settlers into Hawara, even though there had been advance calls on social media and the retaliation was expected. Those sources told Kan 11 that there was no need for intelligence to understand what was going to happen. They also warned that the revenge incident could lead to a global diplomatic crisis and an overall escalation.
They had nothing to say about the failure of a string of right- and left-wing governments to deliver on the promise of paving a road that would bypass Hawara. One government after another avoided the project, including former Transport Minister Merav Michaeli (Labor) who actually boasted of not investing a penny in transportation for the settlers. But the ministers who are on the side of the settlers––including former-Transport Minister Bezalel Smotrich––didn’t deliver either, no matter the reason.
In the end, the “shocking” revenge attack of Jewish settlers who have had it up to here serving as moving targets for Arab shooters on the highway, may serve as deterrence against another drive-by shooting. The IDF is unable to stop them, perhaps the knowledge that every time they kill one of us we retaliate fiercely would force armed Arabs to think twice. Maybe not. The soldiers arrested six Jews Sunday night on suspicion of rioting. Meanwhile, the same soldiers have yet to unearth the cowardly murderer of the Yaniv brothers. According to al-Quds, the IDF besieged the Ibn Sina emergency room in Shechem and prevented ambulances from leaving for the emergency. Was the killer seeking shelter inside the hospital? PA health officials have shielded murderers before.
The Arab social networks have been calling for revenge against the avenging Jews. There’s talk of rockets being launched from Gaza, which would be retaliated by the air force. March 22 starts the month of Ramadan, which is notoriously dipped in rage and blood among our neighbors.
President Yitzhak Herzog declared: “Taking the law into our hands, riots, and violence against innocents – is not our way and I strongly condemn it. We must allow the IDF, the Israel Police, and the security forces to capture the despicable terrorist and restore order immediately.”
He did not mention a permanent lockdown of the most troublesome Arab villages and towns in Judea and Samaria. I expect the bulk of the IDF activity over the next month would instead concentrate on stopping the pesky Jews from attacking their “innocent” neighbors.
