(JTA) — Police arrested three men who brought gasoline tanks to an illegal demonstration outside the home of an inspector who issued demolition orders to West Bank settlers.
The men gathered outside the inspector’s home in a kibbutz in the West Bank’s Jordan Valley Thursday night with the gasoline and posters condemning his actions, Army Radio reported.
The inspector had handed out demolition orders to the residents of the Esh Kodesh outpost, where settlers and Palestinians clashed earlier this week.
Two of the men were residents of the Jordan Valley and the third lives in the West Bank settlement of Talmon, according to the report.
Also Thursday, police arrested seven men suspected of disturbing public order in the Palestinian village of Kusra earlier this week.
Some 15 Israelis marched from the Esh Kodesh outpost into Kusra on Tuesday in a move police believed was intended as a show of force.
A mob took the men hostage and beat them before the Israel Defense Forces intervened and extracted the men. According to some accounts, Palestinian residents prevented other Palestinians from lynching the Israelis.
In a separate incident, police suspect that Israeli right-wing activists vandalized an Arab-owned orchard in Kefar Kassem near Kfar Saba in central Israel. Unknown parties cut down dozens of trees Thursday night.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
