The events of recent days have once again proved that Judea and Samaria, the West Bank, is on the verge of an eruption. According to senior Israeli security officials, the situation on the ground has become so chaotic that there are serious concerns about an imminent resurgence of Palestinian terrorism. The concern stems from growing friction between the Palestinian and Jewish populations, coupled with what officials describe as Israel's glaring failure to enforce the law against Jewish lawbreakers and rioters who act with impunity.
The widely reported events in the Palestinian village of Qusra in recent days are a microcosm of what is happening throughout Judea and Samaria, encouraged and supported by coalition MKs and ministers who repeatedly declare that Areas A, B and C no longer exist and that the Oslo Accords should be scrapped.
In fact, the house in Qusra that Jews took over is only one of many Palestinian homes that Jews have taken over. This particular case attracted significant media attention because the family involved has US citizenship. That prompted US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, a staunch supporter of Israel, to intervene and ask Israel to remove the extremists who had surrounded the home.
At present, soldiers from the Golani Brigade's 51st Battalion are deployed in Qusra after being sent there on the orders of the IDF chief of staff to ensure that the Israelis do not attempt to re-enter the compound. Reports that additional Palestinian families had been evacuated were denied by the military. The 51st Battalion, however, is due to deploy north to Lebanon. Once it leaves the village, IDF officials assess that the Israelis will attempt to return and again illegally take over Palestinian homes.
The bitter reality is that the IDF has been left to deal virtually alone with the establishment of dozens of neighborhoods and farms, some authorized and others not. Commanders and soldiers are doing everything they can to confront the phenomenon, and soldiers who deviate from orders and policy face disciplinary proceedings.
The police, however, have displayed glaring ineffectiveness and an unwillingness to deal with and arrest lawbreakers. At times, they do not even bother to arrive and take custody of civilians detained by IDF soldiers for three hours, the period during which soldiers may detain civilians before transferring them to police.
According to officials familiar with the matter, even when police do arrive to take custody of the civilians, or arrest them themselves, they usually release them shortly afterward. If the police do not release them, the courts often do so instead. The Shin Bet security agency has also displayed striking ineffectiveness in dealing with Jewish terrorism and hate crimes.
One explanation offered by police is that they cannot handle an incident unless a complaint has been filed. But in many cases, officials familiar with the matter say, Palestinian families do not even file complaints about the seizure of their homes and land because they believe no one will come to their aid.
IDF officials say there are dozens upon dozens of such incidents and more than 100 farms, but not enough forces and no national strategy for regulating activity in Judea and Samaria.
In recent months, Judea and Samaria has become a region where law and authority have broken down and everyone does as they please, senior officials warn. They say the growing friction between Israelis and Palestinians could lead to an eruption. But their warnings are falling on deaf ears in the Israeli government, Israel Police and the Shin Bet. And, ultimately, Israel will be the one that pays the price.
