Uncivil Rights

"Around 2 am, my house was surrounded by large police forces, who handed me this warrant, which bans me from my home and Judea and Samaria in general," Meir Bertler of Adi-Ad told Ynet.

Bertler, a father of two whose wife is expecting, denied the army's claims that he was planning to disrupt the coming olive harvest. "All they (the IDF) want to do is to silence the settlement movement and stop us from forming new outposts and stage marches across Judea and Samaria," he added.

As for the timing, Bertler said that since the harvest was weeks away, "this can't have anything to do with it. We will have to see what we can to against these warrants. This will not be ignored."

Bertler, along with Akive Hacohen from Yitzhar, has been banned form the area for four months. The IDF is now searching for David Liebman from Adi Ad, in order to serve him with a similar warrant.

Once news of the restraining orders became public, the Yesha Council demanded that they be immediately rescinded: "The Yesha Council firmly objects to such draconian orders. If a person or a group of people is suspected of planning to break the law, it is the law enforcement authorities' right and duty to deal with the matter," a council official said.