Command and control

The settlers' leaders held a series of meeting with senior defense officials Tuesday, following the violent clashes in Yitzhar, in an attempt to see cooler heads prevail in Judea and Samaria. Nevertheless, a senior military source noted that the Israel Defense Forces' policy in the area "has to change," as the past week's events have "crossed all the lines."

What started as one incident in which someone slashed the tires of the IDF's Samaria Bridge commander's car, and continued with similar vandalism against the vehicles of a reserve force deployed in the area, culminated Tuesday in a mass riot over the razing of illegal buildings in the settlement.

According to the police, hundreds of people participated in the riot, which included the deliberate vandalism of military equipment that belongs to the troops defending the Nablus-adjacent settlement. This was not the act of a handful of extremists, but an agreed-upon action by the residents of Yitzhar and the surrounding area.

The decision to raze the buildings spelled the timing of the clash for security forces. Some in Yitzhar have claimed that the buildings were demolished as part of an IDF "vendetta," no less, over the slashing of the commander's tires. That allegation is not completely devoid of merit, as the defense establishment was looking for a way to demonstrate that the state is the one in control and not the settlers, leading to the decision to raze the buildings soon after the car was vandalized.

The violent riot that ensued, however, has left the IDF battered, bruised and somewhat humiliated, not just because Yitzhar's residents seem to have no qualms about striking those sent to defend them, but mostly because the maneuver backfired, undermining the military's control in the area further; so much so, that concerns have been raised that the next clash might escalate to the point of endangering lives.

The latest events followed a relative decrease in violence by extreme right-wing activists. While 2013 saw 25 attacks against Arabs, 2014 has seen only three so far. The main reason lies with the IDF and the state taking firmer action against Jewish outlaws: Some 70 indictments were filed against extreme right-wing activists last year, and 21 have been filed so far this year. In 2013, the GOC Central Command issued 13 injunctions against settlers suspected by the Shin Bet security agency as being involved in acts of terror against Arabs, barring them from the area, and four injunctions are still in effect. Such measures have undoubtedly contributed to the decrease in attacks against Arabs.

But it is also possible that this policy has provoked the recent acts of violence. The IDF had hoped that politicians would do more than issue reprimanding statements and Facebook sound bites, and pursue a more active course of action, such as preventing MKs from visiting Yitzhar, and taking harsher action against those inciting such violence. So far, none of this has happened, sparking concerns that even if cooler heads prevail this time, it will not be for long.

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