Police brace for ‘price tag’ attacks in wake of Amona evacuation

Israel’s security forces are reportedly bracing for revenge attacks against Palestinians by far-right activists after the evacuation of the illegal West Bank outpost of Amona on Thursday, the Walla news site reported.

Yesh Din, the organization that represented the Palestinian owners of the land on which Amona was built in court, asked Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit on Thursday for an increased army presence around the nearby Arab villages, the news site also reported Friday.

“Based on past experience,” the organization said, “after an evacuation there is an increased chance of ideological crime against the Palestinians.”

Security forces were also concerned that the activists, who are now unable to return to the heavily guarded Amona, may vent their frustrations with so-called price tag attacks, Walla said. The Shin Bet intelligence agency, army and police force continue to work to prevent any such acts.

So-called price tag attacks, usually arson and graffiti, have been carried out by Jewish extremists against non-Jews and against IDF targets in response to terror attacks as well as Israeli policies they deem unfavorable.

The High Court ruled that Amona was built on private Palestinian land registered in the land registry under the names Mariam, Ibrahim and Munir, as well as additional residents from the West Bank villages of Taybeh, Ein Yabrud and Silwad.

A number of protesters against the evacuation who were transported by bus from Amona to the nearby settlement of Ofra on Thursday escaped the vehicle, smashing its windows and making a run for it.

The army strengthened its presence around Amona before the evacuation, and soldiers will remain in the area for several more days, near the Palestinian villages and particularly at known friction points.

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

Dozens of protesters had made the synagogue their last stand after over a day of evictions from the illegal outpost starting Wednesday afternoon, with heavy clashes marring what police and others had hailed as a mostly orderly operation. The violence was widely condemned across the political spectrum, including by right-wing leaders.

At least 60 youths making a final stand hours after the last home in the outpost had been evacuated — left behind a scene of devastation in the place of worship, including swastikas and other graffiti targeting Israeli police on the walls.

Many of the activists involved in the violence during the Amona evacuation were previously known to the police, who will be keeping an eye on them.

The IDF is also taking into account the greater likelihood of Palestinian terror attacks against the troops in the area. Forces are particularly concerned about drive-by shooting attacks, which have increased in the past few weeks.