The IDF and the Shin Bet continue to press Defense Minister Israel Katz to restore administrative detention of violent Jewish extremists after dozens of such extremists on Wednesday undertook attacks of a mix of IDF soldiers and Palestinians in three separate incidents on Wednesday.
According to the IDF, overnight, it sent forces to remove an illegal Jewish outpost near the Palestinian village of Beit Farouk in the northern West Bank area of Samaria.
Jewish extremists there resisted the removal, including throwing rocks at soldiers, wounding two IDF troops.
In addition, some of the Jewish extremists entered Beit Farouk and carried out arson attacks on Palestinian property as well as throwing rocks at Palestinians and their property. It was unclear if any Palestinians were wounded.
Also, Jewish extremists attacked the Palestinian village of Huwara, including a mix of arson of property and throwing rocks. It was unclear if any Palestinians were wounded.
לאחר פינוי של מאחז לא חוקי ליד שכם: עשרות ישראלים נכנסו לכפרים הפלסטיניים חווארה ובית פוריכ, הציתו מבנים ורכבים והתעמתו עם כוחות הביטחון. לפי גורמי ביטחון שני ילדים פלסטינים נפצעו קל מיידוי אבנים pic.twitter.com/slid0YUIxu
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In addition it was unclear how and why the IDF allowed the extremists anywhere near Huwara when there have been multiple such attacks in the past that have made it clear that the village is a repeat target for such extremists.
Near the Palestinian village Roujiba, another 20 Jewish extremists gathered to cause additional disturbances, but in this case IDF forces arrived in time to stop them. This did lead to additional altercations between the Jewish extremists and the soldiers.
The IDF said that a small number of the dozens of Jewish attackers were arrested.
Further, the IDF said that it views such incidents with "great severity" and will work to combat them.
Katz cancels detention order
Despite the IDF statement, Katz recently cancelled the use of administrative detention against Jews.
Immediately following Katz's decision, there were a notable number of attacks by Jewish extremists on IDF commanders and on Palestinians.
Both the IDF and Shin Bet have made it clear that they view Katz's decision as dangerous and giving an opening to extremists to carry out further violence, as occurred on Wednesday.
Questioned about whether Katz would reconsider his cancellation of administrative detention for violent extremist Jews, a spokesman for Katz doubled down.
The spokesman pushed back on the idea that it is acceptable to throw Jews in administrative detention merely for rock throwing which does not cause serious harm, when they can be prosecuted in regular criminal proceedings.
However, The Jerusalem Post pointed out that law enforcement and the Shin Bet have argued that criminally prosecuting most extremist Jews in these cases of violence in the West Bank is not realistic.
They have said that given that most Jews involved cover their faces to hide their identities and that the IDF is currently prohibited from shooting at their legs to prevent them from escaping, the vast majority of Jewish extremists regularly escape IDF forces during such incidents.
In addition, they have said that the only true way to identify many of these extremists is using various hitech and classified Shin Bet spying tools which are not usable for evidence in criminal proceedings or using Jewish undercover spies, whose testimony in court would blow their cover and endanger their lives.
Rather, the security forces have said that administrative detention for a few months is a way to cool down, deter, and prevent such attackers from carrying out such crimes by using intelligence evidence against them, which is irontight but simply cannot be used in criminal proceedings.
While use of administrative detention against Jewish extremists has increased since the war started, the numbers still usually remain in the single digits, whereas several thousand Palesinians have been placed in administrative detention since the war started.
A spokesman for Katz continued to hold the line, responding that the police have many of the tools that the Shin Bet has and maintained that the police could use these tools to bring cases in regular criminal proceedings.
Moreover, the spokesman stated that it is misleading to say that there has been a statistical jump in Jewish extremist violence since Katz canceled administrative detention for Jews, saying that a small number of high-profile cases in the news did not prove a broader problematic trend.
Sources in the defense establishment said that it is too soon after Katz's order to say whether there is a clear trend of a growth in violence by Jewish extremists, but they implied that it has become clear that direct and indirect support from public officials for some of their actions have given them the confidence to increase the size and frequency of violent actions.