Israeli forces on Monday morning evacuated the Givat Aira Shahar outpost in the Binyamin Regional Council east of Ramallah.

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Residents of the unauthorized hilltop community and from surrounding communities protested the move, which was the first evacuation order carried out against the outpost since the current government was sworn in at the end of last year.

Video: Israeli security forces evacuate unauthorized Samaria outpost

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich ordered Monday's action, which targeted five out of 20 structures erected on private Palestinian land or on state land without permits.

Activists burned tires and placed anti-vehicle caltrops on the approach to the outpost, and stoned the forces carrying out the evacuation. Some activists were recorded climbing atop a military excavator. One activist was arrested for disorderly conduct.

Monday's action was carried out by the Border Police and the Civil Administration, the Defense Ministry body, overseen by Smotrich, that is responsible for approving construction and handling other bureaucratic matters in Area C of Judea and Samaria.

"The right-wing government continues the tradition of [State Party head Benny] Gantz and [Yesh Atid leader Yair] Lapid, to damage the Jewish settlement and destroy houses," the residents of Givat Aira Shahar said in a statement, adding that it was "shocking that Smotrich chooses to fight the settlement."

Ariel Danino, who was evacuated from the outpost along with his family, told 103FM: "There are tens of thousands of illegal houses in the area, they just belong to Arabs so they are not destroyed. We at least expected that just as they are not destroyed, [our homes] will not be destroyed here as well.

"I expected Smotrich to act differently, I am very disappointed by his behavior and that of others in the government."

Sources close to Smotrich responded to criticism of the move, with Kan News quoting them as saying that "these are new buildings built on private Arab land, they cannot be regulated and in relation to them there is a demand from the security system and the judiciary for enforcement.

"Unfortunately, we were unable to bring about a consensual solution of transferring them to nearby state lands … as we have acted and we are acting in other places, such as for example in Homesh. On our watch we build and regulate settlements on an unprecedented scale, and do so with pride, authority and authorization."

 Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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The words "Holy Jerusalem" in ancient Hebrew script were found on a rare silver half-shekel coin from the first year of the Great Revolt against the Romans, the Israel Antiquities Authority revealed Tuesday.

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The 2,000-year-old half-shekel coin, made of silver, from the days of the first revolt of the Jews against the Romans, was discovered in the Ein Gedi area of the Judean Desert. The coin, dated 66/67 CE, was discovered during the sixth year of a Judean Desert cave survey operation that the Israel Antiquities Authority is managing in cooperation with the Ministry of Heritage and an archaeology staff officer at the Civil Administration, aimed at reaching the archaeologists' treasures before the antiquities thieves.

Video: Al-Jazeera report denies Jewish connection to Temple Mount / Al-Jazeera

Recently, as part of the survey, examining every cave and crevice, the IAA inspectors reached a section of a cliff in one of the streams of the Ein Gedi area, when they noticed a coin made of silver sticking out of the ground at the entrance to one of the caves. One hypothesis is that the coin fell from a pocket of a rebel who went down to the desert during the rebellion – perhaps on route to nearby Ein Gedi. This could explain how the coin came from Jerusalem to the desert. The words "Holy Jerusalem" is inscribed in ancient Hebrew script on one side of the coin.

Yaniv David Levy, a researcher in the coin branch of the Antiquities Authority said, "You can see an inscription written in unvowelized Hebrew spelling on this coin from the first year of the rebellion. This may be proof of the process of formulating inscriptions when in later years of the rebellion, the inscription 'Holy Jerusalem' is written in plene spelling. Three pomegranates are displayed in the center of the coin, a familiar symbol on the Israeli pound, used by the State of Israel until 1980."

A goblet appears on the other side and above it the Hebrew letter Alef is inscribed, indicating the first year of the outbreak of the rebellion, as well as the inscription "Hatzi Shekel" [half shekel], indicating the value of the coin. The goblet was a symbol typical of the coins used by the Jewish population in the late Second Temple period. These coins were minted in values ​​of "shekel" and "half shekel" during the first rebellion against the Romans, which took place here in the Land of Israel, from 66 to 70 CE. This rebellion ended in the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Interestingly, in accordance with the commandment "Thou shalt not make for thee a graven image" in the Ten Commandments, the Jews engraved symbols taken from the world of plants on their coins, as well as themes inspired by religious objects of worship and sacredness. This, while the pagan population used things from everyday life on the coins, such as animals, and the faces of their emperors.

As part of an act of defiance and the creation of an internal rebellion economy, the Jewish rebels minted their own silver and bronze coins, engraved with Jewish motifs and symbols. It is assumed that the coins were minted in Jerusalem – and possibly even in the temple complex itself. With these coins, the rebels chose to use the ancient Hebrew script that was common hundreds of years earlier – during the time of the First Temple – and not the Greek script, which was used in the days of the Second Temple.

"Coins from the first year of the revolt, such as this coin that was discovered in the Judean Desert, are rare," added Levy. "During the time of the Second Temple, pilgrims used to raise a tax of half a shekel to the Temple. The accepted currency for paying this tax for almost 2,000 years was the Tyrian_shekel. When the revolt broke out, the rebels issued, as mentioned, these replacement coins which bore the inscriptions 'Israel shekel,' 'half shekel,' and a quarter shekel. It seems that the worship of the Temple continued even during the rebellion, and these coins were also used by the rebels for this purpose."

Amir Ganor, director of the Theft Prevention Unit at the IAA, said: "Finding a silver half-shekel coin from the first year in an organized archaeological project is a rare event in Israel, in general, and in the Judean Desert, in particular. The current discovery shows how important it is to survey the entire area of ​​the Judean Desert systematically and professionally. Every successful item discovered in the survey adds more information about the history of our nation and country. If the survey had not been carried out, the coin might have fallen into the hands of antiquities thieves and sold in the antiquities market to the highest bidder. During the six years of this operation, we have documented over 800 caves and discovered thousands of valuable and important finds."

Minister of Heritage Rabbi Amihai Eliyahu, said: "The exciting discovery brings further evidence of the deep and indisputable ties between the Jewish people and Jerusalem and the Land of Israel." The rare coin that was used, according to researchers, in the Second Temple period, goes back about 2,000 years and the inscription 'Holy Jerusalem' is engraved on it. The amazing find is another strong connection to our people's roots in the Land of Israel."

Eli Escusido, director of the IAA added: "The coin is a direct and touching evidence of the Jewish rebellion against the Romans – a turbulent period in the life of our people from 2,000 years ago, during which extremism and discord divided the people and led to destruction. We have returned here after 2,000 years of yearning, and the city of Jerusalem is back to being our capital, but there is nothing new under the sun – the disputes have not ended. Finding this coin reminds us all of our past, and why we must strive for agreement."

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A military court on Thursday handed life sentences to two Palestinian terrorists who killed 19-year-old Israeli yeshiva student and Israel Defense Forces soldier Dvir Sorek in Samaria in 2019.

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Qassem Asafra was sentenced to an additional 40 years behind bars, and his cousin, Nasir Asafra, to another 20.

Each of the perpetrators was also ordered to pay the Sorek family 1.5 million shekels ($476,000) in compensation. In addition, Qassem Asafra, who attacked two Israelis in Beersheba in 2011, but was not caught, was ordered to pay the victims another NIS 60,000 ($19,000) in compensation.

Sorek was found stabbed to death near his hometown of Migdal Oz in Samaria. He was a yeshiva student enrolled in a program that combines Torah study and military service. At the time of the killing, he was off-duty.

Sorek had gone to Jerusalem to buy books for his teacher as an end-of-year present and was returning home when he was targeted by the terrorists.

His body was found by the side of the road, still clutching the books he had purchased, by popular Israeli novelist and outspoken left-wing activist David Grossman.

According to the IDF, Nasir Asafra was a member of Hamas. He attacked Sorek after he got off the bus, subduing him with a stun gun and then repeatedly stabbing him in the chest.

The attackers originally fled the scene but were apprehended following a manhunt. The homes of the perpetrators were demolished in 2019.

Sorek's grandfather, Rabbi Benjamin Harling, was killed in 2000 by terrorists who shot a group of tourists near Mount Ebal.

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As Jews all over the world prepared to light the first candle of Hanukkah 2021 (5782), the IDF Civil Administration revealed on Sunday a rare artifact from the Hasmonean era – a lead sling stone bearing the name of Seleucid ruler Diodotus Tryphon, who waged war against the Hasmoneans.

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The stone was discovered at Tel Zif in the southern Hebron Hills and measures some three centimeters (1.2 inches) long. It bears a clearly legible Greek inscription that includes the name of Diodotus Typhon, who controlled the Seleucid Empire from 142-183 BCE, and the symbol for the Greek god Zeus.

Hanania Hizmi, the officer in charge of the Archaeology Unit in the IDF Civil Administration, said, "I welcome the discovery of this impressive artifact, which joins other artifacts discovered by the Civil Administration in recent years.

"We continue to uncover new findings that comprise another layer of the rich history that occurred in Judea and Samaria hundreds and thousands of years ago," Hizmi said.

"The Civil Administration will continue to work tirelessly to preserve and excavate archaeological sites as well as national heritage and cultural properties throughout Judea and Samaria," Hizmi said.

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The past year recorded a troubling increase in stone-throwing incidents on Highways 6 and 64 despite the fact that throughout the year, sections of the road were closed off and traffic was limited due to the coronavirus outbreak, data released by the Israel Police on Wednesday showed.

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According to police data, 110 stone-throwing incidents took place on Highway 6 alone in 2020, compared to 103 in 2019.

Some 28 such incidents took place around Wadi Ara in northern Israel – an area surrounded by Arab villages. Here, too, there was an increase from 2019, when 23 stoning attacks were recorded.

The police also revealed that in recent years, incidents in which Palestinian terrorists hurl rocks on moving Israeli vehicles – a potentially life-threatening assault – have been spreading to Israel's central highways. Nevertheless, they remain most common in Judea and Samaria.

Until 1990, drivers involved in such incidents were considered as having been in a car incident. That same year, the government changed the law to acknowledge such incidents as acts of terrorism, designating the perpetrators as terrorists.

Haim Bleicher, head of the right-wing Honenu legal aid organization, said, "The police's report confirms the public's suspicion that terrorism is hitting Israel's main roads. Unfortunately, it seems that not enough has been done to eradicate such acts of terror, most of which are committed by those who possess Israeli identity documents."

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Itamar and its outposts spread eastward for about eight kilometers (five miles) from Itamar itself to Gitit in the Jordan Valley. This is strategic settlement at its best. There's nothing like these living postcards to illustrate the vital link between the Jordan Valley and the hilltops.

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Over the years, various Israeli governments have helped this enterprise exist and grow, but did so under the table. The outposts of Itamar have never been regulated and recognized as legal settlements. They aren't alone. There are dozens more "Itamars": The Shilo bloc and its outposts, and Pnei Kedem and Tzur Shalom in Gush Etzion; as well as Sde Boaz, between Neve Daniel and Jerusalem; and Havat Gilad and Givat Assaf and Asa'el. They have all been orphaned and are under a dual threat. First, because life in these outposts is complicated. Many are not connected to the electricity grid, and lack the basic budgets, benefits, and services that regulated settlements get. They also have no legal standing; they exist on paper. Thousands of structures erected there or in other unregulated settlement neighborhoods are under threat of demolition by the IDF's Civil Administration.

The other threat is a political one – they are at risk of being uprooted and evacuated. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's repeated declarations (most recently with Jared Kushner at his side) that no settlement will be uprooted are to a large extent a delusion. So long as these communities are not defined as settlements, they are at risk of being eliminated. There are 26 obvious cases. Most of them were established 20 years ago or more. The Americans left them out of the map for the Trump peace plan because they are not recognized settlements. The Americans' map is Netanyahu's. The "plan of the century" is to a large extent his creation. The Americans say, rightly, that they cannot be more Israeli than Israel. A few years ago, the government decided to regulate the status of settlement outposts, but has done almost nothing to implement that decision. Netanyahu appointed veteran settlement leader Pinchas Wallerstein to head the project, but did not give him the tools he needed, and Wallerstein resigned.

Asa'el in the southern Hebron Hills is an outpost that is home to 70 families. It would be easy to regulate its status, but the decision has to be made. In 1983 a decision was made to found a settlement there, but the idea was frozen during the Oslo Accords process. Because the settlement was never actually established, the decision was canceled. Now it needs to be re-made, but the Netanyahu government isn't doing so much as that, even though Asa'el is located on state-owned land.

Last year, before the election, the government took a small step and declared Mevo'ot Yericho a settlement. Another possibility, attaching it to the settlement Yitav, was rejected. Dozens more outposts can be regulated exactly the same way. Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit needs to decide, just like he decided about Mevo'ot Yericho, whether to attach them to their "mother" settlements or – when that is not possible – to designate them independent settlements.

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For two years, Netanyahu has had on his desk a proposal of this nature that could save a 20-year settlement effort. The maps with and without them are very different. The outposts that have not yet been made settlements or neighborhoods of existing settlements are the difference between land and strategic contiguity with which we can live, or dozens of settlements that would be left up in the air, like a helium balloon, accessed only by a road that is surrounded by Palestinian areas.

The public needs to know the truth: the sky won't fall when Rechalim and Mevo'ot Yericho are regulated as settlements. It won't fall even if the government declares Avigayil and Asa'el settlements, or Pnei Kedem. There are dozens more like them that Netanyahu promised will not be evacuated. But so long as they do not hold the status of settlements or settlement neighborhoods, it's just an empty promise.

Even the proposal of a Basic Law that would require a national referendum for any changes to the map of Judea and Samaria, which MK Zvi Hauser (Derech Eretz) is now presenting to the Knesset and which is intended to prevent settlements in Judea and Samaria from being uprooted without a referendum – does not include these strategic outposts, only recognized settlements.

The threat to the very existence of these outposts, which have been home to thousands of Jews for two decades or more, is only part of the entanglement being slowly created in Judea and Samaria. It isn't only the declaration of Israeli sovereignty over 30% of the territory there that has been canceled or suspended. Construction in regulated, recognized settlements has also been frozen, and policing of illegal Palestinian construction in Area C is nearly non-existent.

The Civil Administration's Higher Planning Committee for Judea and Samaria has not convened for seven months, and the planning process for some 6,000 housing units is being repeatedly postponed. Although there is no cabinet decision to freeze construction in Judea and Samaria, construction is being held up in Har Gilo, Maaleh Adumim, Eli, Har Bracha, and other places. And it's not only the 6,000 units that are under delay; about half of the construction plans that have already been approved aren't moving ahead because of chronic understaffing in the Civil Administration. So the construction freeze is even wider spread.

Surprisingly, it was Defense Minister Benny Gantz who sided with the settlers this week, possibly to goad Netanyahu. Gantz announced he would be calling a meeting of the Higher Planning Committee this coming week in order to approve construction not only in consensus settlement blocs, but also in Beit El, Shilo, Nokdim, Har Bracha, and the southern Hebron Hills. The move requires Netanyahu's approval, so it's not clear what the announcement really means. But politically, at least, Gantz is opting to out-flank Netanyahu from the Right, thereby joining Yamina leader Naftali Bennett and Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman, who have been doing the same when it comes to the settlements issue for months.

To all these quandaries we need to add the serious problem of law enforcement when it comes to the expanding illegal Palestinian construction in Area C. The Palestinians are putting up tens of thousands of houses in strategic locations. If this construction continues at the current rate, it will eventually decide the fate of Area C, and the dream of sovereignty will officially become history.

In the past decade, the number of illegal structures erected in Area C has grown from about 30,000 to some 50,000. The Palestinians know what they're doing, and are working consistently and are well-funded. Here, too, the government is failing to implement its own decisions. Only a year ago the cabinet decided to scupper the Palestinian Authority's attempt to take over Area C. It even asked the Defense Ministry to map the territory and appoint a director for the project who would present the cabinet with facts and recommendations. But in the meantime, nothing has happened.

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