The impounded excavator/backhoe at Gefen Ami

Sunday, November 8, 2026, 7:46 Last Wednesday, another incident occurred—one of many—in which Arabs from the town of Beit Ummar entered the boundaries of Gefen Ami, a Gush Etzion community. They threw stones at the access road and clashes broke out in the area. There was also concern that Arabs might infiltrate the residential area of the community.

That evening, Ma’ati and Adi Kolani, residents of Gefen Ami, heard noises near their home. Adi Kolani, a renovation contractor and reservist who has completed more than 800 days of reserve duty in Yehuda, Shomron, Lebanon, and Gaza (including as a driver of heavy engineering vehicles), was on guard duty. Both he and his wife also serve as ambulance drivers and medics for Magen David Adom (MDA) and have saved lives during terror attacks and other incidents.

When the couple went outside to check what the noises were, they were surprised to find dozens of Border Police officers. Their excavator (backhoe), which was parked near the house, was running and about to be driven away by one of the officers. Officers were also loading many of Adi’s professional tools, including disc saws, three electric screwdrivers, a blower, and additional equipment valued at tens of thousands of shekels, onto their vehicles.

The couple tried to get an explanation for why police were taking the expensive equipment, including their excavator, but received none. The officers did not present the required impound warrants. They said the action involved the brigade commander. When the couple contacted the brigade commander, he replied that it was “because of what happened in the [Arab] town.”

Although the excavator was not roadworthy and had mechanical problems, it was taken and driven to a nearby base close to Karmei Tzur, which risked completely destroying it. The same excavator had been requisitioned twice by the IDF during the war and used for many months at a time in Gaza. When it returned from Gaza, the couple had to spend thousands of shekels repairing it. After the last round, when the excavator came back with many mechanical malfunctions, the couple decided to sell it. It was scheduled to be sold on Thursday morning, but was impounded that night by the army and police.

As the officers were leaving the community, they ordered Ma’ati Kolani to move a vehicle that was blocking the excavator’s path. When she went to look for the key, the officers detained her. She was released several hours later and had to walk home alone in the dark from a nearby junction.

After the officers left, an army bulldozer arrived at 4 a.m. and blocked the community’s access road with rocks, preventing residents from entering or leaving safely. The residents are now forced to drive through the outskirts of Beit Ummar.

Following the incident, Honenu Attorney Azriel Picard contacted the Civil Administration and demanded the immediate return of the equipment and the excavator. He stated: “The excavator owned by my client was recruited by Ministry of Defense for an extended period in the service of the IDF. My client made the vehicle available to the state out of a desire to assist the war effort and contribute as much as he could during the difficult period the country has gone through. My client is a renovation contractor by profession, and the tools taken during the incident are the professional tools he uses in his regular work.”

Attorney Picard demanded the immediate return of the excavator and the tools taken from the couple. He added: “This is an outrageous incident. Instead of showing appreciation for citizens who dedicate their lives to the security of the state, the authorities harmed them and seized their tools and personal equipment. It is unacceptable that a person who served hundreds of days of reserve duty, contributed his excavator to the IDF during the war, and also works to save lives should face such harassment from the security forces. We demand the immediate return of the equipment. We will use all available legal means to prevent similar incidents from recurring.”