Battle at Alei-Ayin

11 injured in outpost demolitions

Police arrest three settlers while clearing illegal structures, claiming they encountered 'massive resistance'; but settlers say officers used excess force, threw stones, stun grenades. 'Outpost will be built anew,' they vow

Six Border Guard officers and five settlers were lightly injured before sunrise Thursday during an evacuation and demolition of four structures in the West Bank outpost of Ali Ayin. Three settlers were arrested for rioting.

The settlers claim police used excess force, beat them, and used stun grenades unnecessarily. Police claim special forces officers who were assisting the Civil Authority with demolitions came up against massive resistance, which included the blocking of roads and stone-throwing.

Found at Arutz 7:-

A large combined police-army force carried out what witnesses said was a “particularly violent” eviction at a Jewish outpost neighborhood this morning.

The site is Alei Ayin, near Shiloh in the northern Binyamin bloc, some 30 40 kilometers north of Jerusalem. The forces razed a home and two agricultural structures.

Despite the early hour, residents of nearby neighborhoods arrived to try to prevent the eviction. A number of clashes broke out, and six Border Guard officers and five residents were reported lightly hurt.

The residents said - as they generally say on occasions of this sort, and as they also usually make good on – that they will commence with rebuilding immediately.

Col. (ret.) Itzik Shadmi, chairman of the Binyamin Residents Committee, lashed out at Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who is responsible for the eviction decision. “Barak is jealous of the ovations Netanyahu received in Washington,” Shadmi said, “and so he apparently decided to remind everyone that he, too, can harm the Yesha settlements.”

The Shai (Samaria and Judea) Police District reported that “some youths” threw a firebomb at the car of the Binyamin Region station commander, sending it up in flames. The police announced that it views this incident “with great gravity” and as the “crossing of a red line” that will be “dealt with in accordance with the full extent of the law.”

“Barak would be better advised to use violence and ammunition to destroy our enemies’ homes,” Shadmi also said, “and let the Yesha residents live their lives. For many months, the residents of Alei Ayin have been suffering from Arab vandalism; it’s too bad that Barak has decided to join them, instead of strengthening the Alei Ayin citizens.”

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