"Who are you protecting?": Residents of Judea and Samaria furious at the IDF

Residents of Neve Daniel, Kiryat Arba, and other communities in Judea and Samaria are protesting IDF decisions to allow Arab harvesters to approach within 30 meters of homes and enter settlement fences. The protest focuses on a sense of security lawlessness, with residents confronting officers: "Who are you protecting, Hamas or me?"

Residents of Neve Daniel, Kiryat Arba, and other communities in Judea and Samaria came out today (Monday) to protest IDF decisions allowing Arab harvesters to approach within 30 meters of family homes and enter settlement fences. In Neve Daniel in Gush Etzion, residents gathered at the gate and prevented harvesters from entering the settlement area. A local resident tearfully addressed a Civil Administration officer: "Who are you protecting, Hamas or me?! My children who will come at night and be slaughtered by Arabs?" A similar incident occurred in the Orot Netanel neighborhood near Kiryat Arba, where residents woke to the sounds of harvesting 30 meters from children's rooms. Residents claim they were informed the previous evening as a final decision. According to a military source, 98% of agricultural areas are open for harvesting without coordination, and only 2% require coordination due to security sensitivity. The settlers ask why they insist on allowing entry specifically to the exceptional plots. The protest recurs annually; in 2025, similar confrontations occurred in Etz Efraim and Oranit. Concerns about harvesting being used for intelligence gathering were raised in a Knesset discussion in 2024. In another incident in the southern Hebron Hills, a suspect tried to snatch a weapon from a farm owner during harvesting. Last week, stones were thrown at Jews near Sebastia, and five were injured. The article presents only the residents' position, without an official response from the IDF or the Civil Administration.