The blame game between the Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Police over responsibility for events in Judea and Samaria has become routine. Following another weekend of violence, the two organizations are once again pointing fingers at each other. The IDF argues, with justification, that it cannot station a soldier every few feet across the vast territory of Judea and Samaria, and that despite the serious incidents of violence, police have not arrested a single Israeli civilian. Police, meanwhile, insist that the military is the governing authority in the area and must expand its deployment.
As Israel Hayom reported on Friday, the IDF is expected to deploy additional forces to Judea and Samaria in the coming days in response to intolerable acts of nationalist violence that are causing enormous damage to Israel's international standing.
Those troops will be assigned to protect Palestinians harvesting olives from their trees, rather than defending Jewish communities against Palestinian terrorism. Yet even with the reinforcements, the IDF will be unable to secure every location or be present wherever Israelis deliberately initiate confrontations with Palestinians.
Military officials complain that every agency responsible for addressing the troubling phenomenon is shirking its duties. Police arrive late to collect testimony and evidence but make no arrests. Even when a handful of suspects are arrested following previous incidents, they are released shortly afterward by police or the courts. The Shin Bet security agency, whose mandate includes safeguarding democracy and combating Jewish terrorism, is also failing to confront the problem.
The most serious issue, according to a senior security official, is that all this is taking place with the government's backing and the encouragement of coalition ministers and Knesset members. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's tepid condemnation following the attack on diplomats captured on video over the weekend is hardly helping to stop the violence and may even be encouraging it with a tacit wink of approval. In an English-language post on X, Netanyahu declared that "serious accusations require serious evidence."
Military officials describe an "organized operation" by the Israeli rioters who arrive to confront Palestinians. On the other side are left-wing activists and anarchists who also travel to the area in organized groups, ostensibly to protect the Palestinians.
"That's how the provocations begin. Everyone comes armed with a camera and a club," frustrated troops on the ground say.
"No one even bothers to ask where the police are anymore. They simply place all the responsibility on the IDF," officials familiar with the situation say. "Ultimately, the identities of those involved in these incidents are known. Why aren't there any arrests? These aren't fringe elements or isolated extremists, and the numbers are not small. Many hundreds of people are taking part in these incidents."
