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ANALYSIS / Laws of the jungle apply in the West Bank By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Settlements, Israel, Outposts  The violent and ongoing clash with reserve soldiers at the outpost of Yad Yair Wednesday night and the brawl and shooting in response to the stabbing of a Jewish boy in the outpost near Yitzhar Saturday morning reflect a trend in the territories over the past two months. The violence probably stems from a combination of reasons, but it is hard to ignore the fact that violence is on the rise in the West Bank between settlers and Palestinians and between settlers and the security forces. The incidents are many, and they are focused in the mountainous, more extreme settlements - the Nablus area, the settlements north of Ramallah, and in the southern part of the Hebron Mountains. The weakness of the Israel Defense Forces is particularly visible. The reserve soldiers at Yad Yair, like the regular soldiers at Yitzhar, were unable to stop the settler outbursts and made do with standing aside helplessly. Since the destruction of Amona in 2006, the army has changed its approach and prefers to send in the police and the Border Police to clash with the rioters. But the police are not always available, and the message that comes down to the officers (even if it is not always intentional) is that it is best not to tangle with Jews, whether that is an extreme right-winger at Yitzhar or an anarchist at Na'alin. Advertisement As a result, the settlers are unrestrained. In the days to come we will hear many shocking declarations and mutual accusations being leveled at the various authorities. In fact, it can be assumed that what has been, will be: The attacks and the violence around Yitzhar have been going on intermittently for more than 20 years. The present escalation is taking place in the context of more long-term processes, from the disengagement to the Amona evacuation and beyond. All assumptions that the rifts would heal have been proven false. The settlement establishment has once more embraced the IDF, but a considerable group of residents, not only young people and not only residents of the outposts and "hilltop youth" - are pledging that Amona will not fall again. The Yesha Council of settlements is no longer able to rein them in. These people have not forgiven the state for its actions of recent years and have concluded one thing from them: The disengagement and the demolition of homes in Amona were able to be realized because the settlers were not determined and violent enough to prevent them. If the IDF and the police know that any evacuation, even the most minor, has a high price in terms of the violence they will face, the senior political and security echelons might be discouraged from additional clashes. The Shin Bet security service is said to believe that the violence at Amona will represent the lower end of the scale if another significant evacuation takes place. To this must be added the unrest engendered by elections, apparently on the horizon. Right-wing violence usually rises with the threat to the settlements posed by the diplomatic process. The right, like everyone actually, ascribes no real importance to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's talks over a "shelf agreement" with the Palestinian Authority, but public discourse is overflowing with proposals for agreements with the Palestinians, not to mention moving ahead on the evacuation-compensation bill and talks with the settlers, the security forces and the Yesha Council over moving the outpost of Migron. This a suitable backdrop to send deterrent signals to the government, the present one and the one to come. The outposts are a constant source of front-line friction between the settlers and the Palestinians. In some areas the IDF is allowing Palestinians to reach their lands near outposts more than it did in the past. The residents of the outposts use threats and violence to keep them away. When the Palestinians use violence, as was the case with the stabbing of the boy in Yitzhar Saturday, the laws of the jungle take over. The hilltop people are convinced that only if their Arab neighbors are afraid will quiet prevail and their families will be able to live in relative security. In a place like Yitzhar, an accounting of the amount of blood shed always hovers in the background, nurtured by the mutual boundless hatred that erupts every few months. Related articles: West Bank villager: Settlers went from house to house firing at random Rights group: W. Bank settlers grab more Palestinian land State admits outpost built on private Arab land Bookmark to del.icio.us   Beatle terror Islamic militant leader threatens to kill former Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney, over Israel gig. Fugee Fridays Every Friday, volunteers bring donated food from Carmel Market to African refugees.   1.   There are "two Israels"... 07:30  |  Silvienne 14/09/08   2.   We should put right the truth. 08:02  |  Jean Van Daem 14/09/08   3.   leave the settlers alone 08:03  |  dave s. 14/09/08   4.   Unchecked, the settlers will ruin Israel.... 08:48  |  Esther 14/09/08   5.   settler attacks are important progress 08:57  |  JB 14/09/08   6.   Give them a Palestinian Passport 08:57  |  avi 14/09/08   7.   laws 09:00  |  colin 14/09/08   8.   As a Jew within the so called "green line" ... 09:36  |  Jew 14/09/08   9.   Shameful 09:36  |  Leon Blaustein 14/09/08   10.   WHO ATTACKED WHO FIRST? READ YOUR OWN REPORTAGE... 10:00  |  Chaim 14/09/08   11.   Funny how Haaretz doesn`t write about the leftwing rioters 10:58  |  Debbie 14/09/08   12.   Who is responsible for the laws of the jungle ? 2nd try. 11:11  |  Akram Zekaria 14/09/08   13.   The WB occupation is keeping Israel from becoming a state of law 11:17  |  Swiss (Dino) 14/09/08   14.   Settlement enterprise, the bane of our lives... 11:24  |  Esther 14/09/08   15.   #10 -Chaim is right 12:21  |  Captain Obvious 14/09/08   16.   Let`s do it the Left`s way 12:25  |  no coalitionist 14/09/08   17.   I`ll tell you the whole story 12:27  |  Oggy 14/09/08   18.   Avi from Ramat Gan # 6 12:45  |  ChanahS 14/09/08   19.   WAKE UP 12:56  |  steve 14/09/08   20.   #8 Jew in Jerusalem--you have it wrong 14:21  |  Labhras 14/09/08   21.   Squatters, Not "Settlers" 14:31  |  Steve 14/09/08   22.   Laughing at Israel! 15:07  |  Manny Goldstein 14/09/08   23.   #18 labarse of arabia and the legality of settlement in israel 15:13  |  v.hardman 14/09/08   24.   #17 channahs supports the illegal Settlers 15:29  |  Labhras 14/09/08   25.   Time to abort the entire Settler Enterprise! 15:47  |  Ivar 14/09/08   26.   to # 23, it`s television 18:25  |  Rob of melbourne 14/09/08   27.   It`s a jungle out their in analysis-land 20:27  |  Joe Sittizen 14/09/08

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