Defense Minister Israel Katz has instructed officials on Thursday to pursue administrative removal orders against activists whose activities are deemed to threaten public order or security in the West Bank, following a request from Yesha Council chairman Yisrael Ganz.
The move comes as the annual olive harvest begins in the West Bank this week, with left-wing activists preparing to travel to the area.
Ganz, who heads the Binyamin Regional Council and chairs the Yesha Council, an umbrella organization representing Israeli settlements in the West Bank, appealed to Katz on behalf of local government leaders in the area.
In his appeal, Ganz urged the defense minister to take measures to prevent activists from entering olive-harvesting areas, which he described as the stage for provocations and confrontations.
The request followed, in part, an announcement by the Global Sumud Flotilla, the organization behind the Gaza-bound flotilla that included Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, that it was recruiting foreign activists to travel to Israel and participate in activities in olive-harvesting areas in the West Bank.
Katz seeks administrative removal orders against West Bank activists
According to Ganz's appeal, several other organizations, including Go Palestine, Protect the Harvest, Faz3a, and the International Solidarity Movement, are also organizing activities in the area.
Following the request, Katz instructed officials to work toward issuing administrative removal orders against activists whose activities are found to pose a threat to public order or security in the West Bank.
Yesha Council chairman warns against 'provocations' during olive harvest
“Residents of Judea and Samaria are not props for campaigns by foreign activists,” Ganz told The Jerusalem Post. “We saw the provocations in Gaza, and we must not allow them to reach Judea and Samaria as well.
“We will not allow extremist activists, Israeli or foreign, to come to the area in order to create provocations and confrontations. The olive harvest season must not become a tool for deliberately creating friction on the ground.
“I thank Defense Minister Israel Katz for responding to the request and for taking decisive action to maintain security and public order.”