Lockdown, security forces in Ateret; Photo credit: Honenu
Saturday, June 24, 2023, 22:30 Since the end of Shabbat, the IDF, the Israel Police, and the GSS have placed the residents of Ateret under lockdown. Anyone entering or exiting the community must undergo a meticulous check by the security forces. The Binyamin Brigade Commander, Colonel Eliav Elbaz, is in charge of the security check, which is disrupting the residents’ routine. Honenu Attorney Nati Rom arrived at the community to assist the residents.
Attorney Rom stated, “For many hours, a barrier has been in place at the entrance to Ateret where the Binyamin Brigade Commander is in charge and standing with army and GSS forces who have concealed their faces. The forces are not allowing anyone to leave or enter the community without a meticulous examination of their vehicle. They are also detaining people collectively. This is collective punishment the likes of which we have not seen – although we have requested it at, for example, [the Arab village] Kafr al-Mughayyir after the residents placed over 20 roadside explosives. We asked for a checkpoint there and were told that there was no authorization from the political echelon, that Major-General [Yehuda Fuchs] won’t allow it. But here they’re quick to collectively punish the residents. This is intolerable, illegal, and must be stopped immediately.”
Ateret resident Lisa Hominer shared her feelings on her Facebook page: “As a resident of the community, I see what is happening and I feel as if the government hasn’t been replaced. The murderers are throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails under the protection of the army! The murderers were allowed to riot until four in the morning! The road was closed and residents of [Ateret] were forced to wait until then at Neve Tzuf [a nearby Jewish community]. … The army is not protecting us and is instead tolerating the murderers. The important thing is to look good for the world. On Shabbat afternoon a civilian vehicle with Yassam [Special Forces] officers and one detainee left [Ateret]. The Yassam officers were wearing knit caps that hid their faces. From whom? From the murderers? Not at all! From us, the residents of the community. They should be ashamed of themselves! In whose service are they? The army is in the service of the Hamas!”
Honenu Attorney Nati Rom at the Ateret lockdown; Video credit: Honenu
Lockdown, security forces in Ateret; Video credit: Honenu
Lockdown, security forces in Ateret; Video credit: Honenu