Dozens of Jewish extremists in Hebron for annual pilgrimage try to attack senior IDF officer; 5 arrested

Dozens of Jewish extremists in Hebron for an annual pilgrimage tried to attack the head of the IDF Central Command Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth who was in the flashpoint West Bank city to secure the gathering, the military says.

Five suspects have been arrested by police after they chased Bluth and the soldiers accompanying him, calling the IDF commander a “traitor.” The head of Central Command typically has a fraught relationship with settler extremists, since the army is tasked with trying to keep them in check in the West Bank.

The IDF says that the group of young suspects chased Bluth and tried to block an exit that the military needed for operational activity.

After five suspects were arrested, the gathering of rioters was dispersed, the army says, adding that it strongly condemns the violence on display this evening.

Each year, tens of thousands of Jewish worshippers visit Hebron for the annual pilgrimage tradition. Successive years have seen Jewish rioters target Palestinian locals whose movement in the city is further restricted by the IDF to secure the area for the pilgrims.