Over 30 right-wing activists were arrested on Thursday for disturbing the peace,
after they blocked numerous roads during a “Day of Rage” to protest Border
Police violence at Gilad Farm on Monday.
The largest demonstration was at
the El Al junction, a major intersection near Ben- Gurion Airport, where 20
demonstrators were arrested after attempting to block the road.
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activists were also arrested at a demonstration at Gilad Farm. Eight others were
arrested in Jerusalem after trying to block major streets. In all cases, traffic
resumed within minutes, Jerusalem Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld
said.
Activists also tried to block a train near Modi’in, a road near Bat
Yam, a road by Latrun and numerous roads in the West Bank, including near Mitzpe
Yeriho and Karnei Shomron.
In some instances, the protesters put burning
tires on the road. As of press time, B’Tselem said that it had received a report
of a car that had been torched, but knew of no other attacks against
Palestinians or their property.
Rosenfeld said police were assessing the
situation to decide whether to continue the increased patrols for Friday, in
light of conflicts that could break out after midday Muslim prayers or in
response to “price tag” attacks on Arabs that might be carried out
overnight.
Activists announced the Day of Rage after Border Police
officers fired plastic bullets at settlers who tried to prevent the destruction
of three structures at the Gilad Farm outpost in Samaria on Monday morning; 15
settlers were injured.
Settlers had initially said the officers fired
more dangerous rubber bullets at them, but the Border Police denied this. On
Wednesday, Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch said in the Knesset
that less dangerous plastic bullets had been used. Still, it was the first time
even plastic bullets had been used against settlers.
Kfir Brigade soldier
Shimon Weisman, whose home was among those dismantled, was arrested on Thursday
for being absent without leave and sentenced to 30 days in prison. He had said
he wouldn’t return to his unit until he had rebuilt his home.
As
activists sat in the middle of roads, Interior Minister Eli Yishai criticized
the Border Police’s actions at Gilad Farm.
In an interview with Army
Radio, Yishai said that such evacuations should be made “patiently through
dialogue,” and not through force.
The Shas Party chairman added that if
it became necessary to carry out such an operation through force, it should be
carried out “with a great deal of understanding.”
Jerusalem Post staff
contributed to the report.