The responses to the police operation in Peki'in are both reflexibly automatic and predictable, first because of constant anxiety over the potential for violent outbursts in the Arab community, and also because the police - especially in the northern district - were harshly criticized by the Or Commission for their use of excessive force when confronting Arab Israelis.
Whether the police have prioritized the way it enforces the law, or when it chooses to carry out arrests with the kind of force that it exercised on Tuesday in Peki'in, are troubling questions. In Beit Shemesh, there is daily violence involving many people, which includes damage to property, throwing of stones, and burning of vehicles, but the police have yet to show significant initiative against the rampaging ultra-Orthodox. Against the settlers too, who vandalize Arab property, no similar operations are conducted, and hundreds of police officers have yet to raid the Tel Aviv clubs that are awash with violence and drugs.
A separate question is whether damaging a cellular telephony antenna constitutes sufficient reason for more intense enforcement of the law.
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All this does not justify the violent response against the policemen who went to arrest those suspected of burning the antennas. It is possible that the residents are right to be concerned about the radiation. It is possible that they suffer from the shared syndrome of cellular telephone consumers throughout the country, who are not willing to live near relay antennas. And it is also possible that beautiful Peki'in is actually a violent town, because this is not the first clash between police and persons living there, according to what residents themselves say.
The claims against the police for coming to the village with too much aggressive force are countered by opposing claims - that the police had insufficient force and therefore had to defend themselves with live fire. The entry of police to a village whose residents are Druze, Christians and Jews is not supposed to result in masked men taking up positions, in advance, in alleys and on rooftops. This was not a demonstration that was dispersed with live fire as was the case in October 2000, instead of using other, non-lethal means. This was an attempt to arrest suspects. This was a routine police activity that required 200 police officers, because several days earlier, the police had a hard time arresting the suspects when it tried with insufficient numbers.
The wave of raging responses to the police are almost automatic, even though the facts are still not clear. The Arab MKs are demanding a commission of public inquiry, and are calling for the resignation of the district police commander - even though most of those injured were policemen. The elected Druze officials are also quick to conclude that the alliance with the Jews is coming to an end.
Sensitivity for the feelings of minorities cannot cancel out law-enforcement activities. There are many areas in the country where the police are wary to enter, because it knows that similar violence may occur. Anyone who wishes to live in a country of law and order must back the police, and not remain indifferent to the fact that Peki'in citizens attacked the police officers who entered the village as if they were the enemy.
Similarly, there should be no indifference to the fact that a female police officer who carried out her duty was taken hostage in order to gain the release of the suspects.
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