‘Palestinian’ Arabs torched the tomb of Eleazar the Priest in the Samarian village of Awarta on Wednesday, sparking outrage among area residents. Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, sharply condemned the attack and called on security forces to respond decisively against those responsible for the severe act of vandalism at the holy site.
Dagan condemned the arson and compared the perpetrators’ actions to those of the ISIS terror organization. “This is a very serious incident. They behave again and again like ISIS,” Dagan said. “I expect the government, the IDF, and the security establishment to respond very decisively. It’s not enough to repair the damage, and we will also act to restore the holy site. Determined security action is also required against those responsible for this act.”
Dagan emphasized his full confidence in the security forces and the IDF, and made clear that Samaria residents expect forceful action. “We place our trust in the IDF and expect the IDF and the security establishment to do the job. Only the IDF and the security establishment are authorized to use force. Samaria residents support the security forces, trust them, and expect a decisive response,” he concluded.