Settlers from Givat Ronen clash with police

Police carrying out arrest in W. Bank outpost allegedly attacked by settlers, use pepper spray.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN, TOVAH LAZAROFF
Har Bracha 311 (photo credit: Shimshon Sochi/Samaria Citizens’ Committee)
Har Bracha 311
(photo credit: Shimshon Sochi/Samaria Citizens’ Committee)
A violent clash between police and settlers at the Givat Ronen outpost in Samaria erupted late on Tuesday night during a police arrest operation.
Police said that when they arrived at the outpost, located outside the Har Bracha settlement, to arrest a wanted suspect, dozens of people gathered around them.
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Police said the suspects hurled rocks at a patrol car, causing extensive damage, and punctured the car’s tires. Officers were also pelted with rocks during the incident.
Police sprayed pepper spray in response. A back-up police force that arrived on the scene was also targeted with rocks.
Police arrested nine people for assaulting cops and interfering with a police officer.
The suspects have been taken to the Samaria Police station for questioning.
Settlers in turn have charged that the police actions at the outpost amounted to a “price tag” operation against them.
Right-wing activist Itamar Ben-Gvir admitted that someone had punctured a tire on a police vehicle and that this was wrong.
But he said that instead of looking to capture the person who vandalized their vehicle, the police exacted revenge against the entire outpost.
They burst into homes, demanded that people leave them in the middle of the night and used tear gas, he said.
In a video posted by settlers on YouTube, one woman from Givat Ronen said she thought it was a terror attack.
Her husband opened the window to see what was happening and the police dragged him out through the window. They entered their home with sticks in a very cruel way, she said. Someone tried to photograph the event and they confiscated his phone. “They went house to house,” she said.
Samaria Regional Council Gershon Mesika said he would have expected the police to act according to the law instead of treating the settlers as if they were the enemy.
“This has to stop,” he said.