The community of Yitzhar in the Shomron was the target of Arab
arsonists during the Sabbath.
On Saturday afternoon at approximately 5:00 p.m. local time,
Palestinian Authority Arabs started a fire in several locations west
of the community.
The local emergency squad and a team of firefighters who arrived on
the scene were attacked with rocks that were thrown at them by
approximately 200 Arab rioters. IDF soldiers and Border Police
officers who arrived also were attacked and were prevented from
dispersing the rioters for a long time.
The Arab rioters filmed the riot and posted the video to YouTube.
As the fires continued raging, residents of Yitzhar streamed to the
site to assist the fire crews. Some of them responded by throwing
rocks back at the Arab rioters.
Only about an hour after the incident started, did the soldiers
respond to the riot and dispersed the Arabs, who went back to their
village.
Residents of Yitzhar told Arutz Sheva that dozens of similar fires
have been started by Arabs in the summers in recent years, mainly on
Fridays and Saturdays. Attacks are often timed to take place on the
Sabbath, when women and children are often at home while their
husbands and fathers are in synagogue.
Just two weeks ago disaster was narrowly averted twice on the
Sabbath, as Jews in Yitzhar prevented Arabs from destroying their
community with fire. Some grazing land was set alight, but homes in
the area were saved.
Residents later told Arutz Sheva that the attacks mark the beginning
of the annual PA “arson season.”
Three years ago a PA terrorist managed to burn down a home in the
Shalhevet neighborhood and to stab young Tuvia Shtetman, a child
living in the area. Tuvia managed to fight off the terrorist, but
suffered moderate wounds.
Subsequent arson attacks have caused hundreds of thousands of shekels
of damage.
