Police minister: Holed up Amona protesters ‘hooligans’

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan on Thursday branded as “hooligans” protesters who barricaded themselves into a synagogue in the illegal West Bank outpost of Amona to resist a court-ordered eviction.

In a few chaotic minutes of violence on Thursday, during which 17 police officers and several protesters were lightly injured, Israeli security forces evacuated dozens of protesters from the synagogue at the West Bank outpost, drawing the evacuation of Amona to a close.

The protesters had made the synagogue their last stand after over a day of evictions from the outpost starting Wednesday afternoon, with heavy clashes marring what police and others had hailed as a mostly orderly operation.

“The protesters inside the barricaded synagogue are unworthy hooligans who hold Judaism in contempt and have no respect for religion, the synagogue or rabbis,” Erdan said.

“I expect the police to act decisively to remove them,” he added.

Graffiti found on the walls inside the synagogue included a swastika with the Israel Police symbol at its center. Other graffiti called for “Death to Zionists” and castigated “Zion-Nazis” and “Zionists from hell.”

At least 17 police officers were hurt as rioters attacked security forces with chemicals, rocks, bottles and wooden boards.

Police spokesman Meirav Lapidot said, “There are lawbreakers here who don’t have respect for anyone.”

She said tear gas released during the melee was not deployed by the police but had been stockpiled by the protesters.

Jewish Home lawmaker Bezalel Smotrich, who was in Amona on Wednesday to show solidarity with the residents, posted on his Twitter account, “Harming police is crossing a red line.”

“We stayed very far away from that during this whole painful evacuation. What a shame that a small minority did it in the end and harmed this just and necessary just struggle.”

Hours of unsuccessful negotiations had preceded the forced evacuation of the synagogue, the final building to be cleared at the outpost after the 40 homes of its residents were evacuated on Wednesday and earlier Thursday.

Dozens of police personnel gathered at the entrance to the building, and tried to enter. One was hit with an iron bar. There were reports of paint being thrown and a fire extinguisher turned on the forces. Police held up plastic shields to block the synagogue’s windows as protesters threw bottles and debris at the officers. The police initially tried to enter without helmets or other heavy protection.

Police said 60 to 70 people were inside the synagogue.

About 3,000 security personnel were deployed to the operation; about 1,000 people — residents and their supporters — were estimated to be at Amona when the evictions began.

After over a decade of delays and legal wrangling, the High Court ruled in December 2014 that Amona, which lies east of Ramallah, was built on private Palestinian land and must be demolished. Nine homes in the adjacent Ofra settlement were also due to be demolished.