From the Liveblog of
Friday, August 21, 2026
Democrats lawmaker says police banned party activists, but not settlers, from Palestinian town
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleRabbi Gilad Kariv, a lawmaker for the left-wing The Democrats party, says police barred party activists as well as Palestinians from a Palestinian West Bank village, while allowing settlers to stay in the area.
Kariv posts on X that a group of activists, including members of his party, went to the southern West Bank village of al-Maniya this morning to perform what’s known as “protective presence,” helping defend residents from settler attacks.
Kariv writes that Palestinian locals have suffered harassment from settlers in a nearby outpost established a year ago. He says the IDF declared the area a closed military zone in November, but that the settlers have not subsequently been evacuated.
But he writes that this morning, police used the same order to remove the activists, as well as around 15 of al-Maniya’s residents, from the area, while settlers there were not told to leave.
He attaches a video in which a police officer tells the activists, “This is a closed military zone,” adding, “When you see the order, you have to go.”
פעם אחר פעם, הצבא משתמש בצווי שטח צבאי סגור כדי לפנות פעילי נוכחות מגינה, ולהעניק חסינות למתנחלים אלימים.
הבוקר הגיעה קבוצה של פעילי הדמוקרטים הצעירים ובני אברהם לסייע לתושבי הכפר אל מיניה. לפני שנה הוקם בסמוך לכפר מאחז בלתי חוקי ומאז הם סובלים ממסכת התנכלויות.
בנובמבר הצבא… pic.twitter.com/HMAGEC37bR
— גלעד קריב (@KarivGilad) August 21, 2026
Kariv writes, “Closed military zone orders have become, in recent months, an inappropriate tool for masking deeds that should not be done to Palestinians, for obstructing Israeli citizens from speaking out and standing against injustices, and for putting wind at the backs of the hilltop gangs,” a reference to settler extremists.
He calls for the residents to be let back into their homes.
The Times of Israel Community.