Yitzhar: The Prime Target

ה' לחודש העשירי תשע"ג
12th Yartzeit of Rabbi Binyamin and Talia Kahane hy"d

For years, I have been warning people that the town of Yitzhar, in the heart of the Shomron (Samaria) is a target, and I have been warning them as to why this is the case.

Before reading the report below about this past Shabbath, I just received the following report from a friend of mine in the area.


(Translated from Hebrew)

A member of the Yitzhar security patrol was hurt today by a rock thrown by an Arab. He is unable to see with the eye that was injured.  There are fragments in his eye socket, in his nose, and there is concern for his sight in the injured eye.  Please pray for the refu'ah shelemah (complete healing) of Levi Yitzhaq ben Rivqah.   

Arutz 7: Arabs Target Yitzhar On The Sabbath

Dozens of PA Arabs from a village near Shechem try to enter a neighborhood in Yitzhar during the Sabbath.

Elad Benari, December 16, 2012

Dozens of Palestinian Authority Arabs from the village of Einabus near Shechem tried to enter a neighborhood in the Shomron community of Yitzhar during the Sabbath.

The neighborhood’s residents came out of their homes and drove the Arabs away, while a military force arrived and dispersed the Arabs using riot control measures.

The community of Yitzhar noted that it is suspected some of the Arabs may have fired shots during the incident. No one was reported to have been hurt.

Yitzhar has been more than once the target of Arabs who take advantage of the Sabbath to try to infiltrate into the community. Arson is one of the more common forms of such terrorism.

Several months 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.

PA Arabs in Judea and Samaria have been rioting and attempting to carry out terrorist attacks for the past several days. On Friday, approximately 1,000 Arabs rioted in Tulkarm. In Ni'lin and Bil'in the rioters hurled rocks at security forces.

About 30 PA Arabs rioted in Kfar Kadum in Samaria and rolled a burning tire towards security forces. 10 Arabs rioted in the Qalandiya crossing, throwing rocks towards the crossing. 40 Arabs hurled rocks towards the Rachel's Tomb compound, and about 3000 Arabs rioted in Hevron. (cont.)

 רמב"ם: הלכות מלכים ומלחמות

ו,טו  [יא] צרין על עיירות הגויים בשבת, ועושין עימהם מלחמה בשבת--שנאמר "עד רדתה" (דברים כ,כ), ואפילו בשבת:  בין מלחמת מצוה, בין מלחמת הרשות. 

Ramba"m: The Laws of Kings and Wars

6: 15 [11] One lays siege on towns of non-Jews on Shabbath, and makes war with them on Shabbath -- as it says, "...until it falls" (Deut. 20:20), and even on Shabbath, in either an obligatory war or in a voluntary war.

But, since when does the Israeli Government, or its IDF Command care about halakhah (Jewish Law)?

It only cares about removing Jews from their homes and destroying Jewish strongholds on Shabbath, using the same strategies as the Arabs which attack Yitzhar.

Could there be a connection here?