Israelis Protest At Prime Minister’s Office, Demanding More Security

Jerusalem (TPS) – Approximately 1,000 residents including schoolchildren from Judea’s Kiryat Arba, Hebron and Gush Etzion communities protested at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem as the Cabinet was meeting on Sunday. In the past three days, two Israelis, one U.S. citizen and one Palestinian have been murdered by Palestinian terrorists in Gush Etzion while more than a week ago, Rabbi Yaakov Litman and his son, of Kiryat Arba, were murdered in drive-by terror shooting.

Avi Shushan, head of the Education Department in Kiryat Arba and the main coordinator of the protest, noted that Israeli residents from the Judea region of all ages, ceased their regular daily activities to take part in a protest.  They gathered to demand more action on the part of the Israeli government in combating the current wave of terrorism.

“We stopped our lives along with school today in order to demand security from the Prime Minister,” said Shushan at the protest.

Malachi Levinger, mayor of Kiryat Arba,  located right next to Hebron, attended the protest as well. “We are here to say ‘no more,’” exclaimed Levinger. “We are not ready continue with this situation. We want to be a free people in our land. We want to drive from home to Jerusalem and Beersheba with security. I am demanding from the prime minister to start fighting terrorism.”

Levinger suggested making adjustments in traffic control in order to contain terrorism. “Any road where shots have been fired should be closed to Arab traffic,” demanded Levinger. “Route 60 should be closed to Arab traffic.”

Route 60 is a main highway that runs through Judea and Samaria and stretches from Beersheba to Nazareth. A large number of the recent terrorist attacks in Judea that have killed Israelis, have occurred off of Highway 60.

Prominent Members of Knesset from the coalition also spoke at the demonstration to express their solidarity with the attendees including members from Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Likud party, who addressed the crowd of demonstrators.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Uri Ariel from the Jewish Home Party demanded significant action on the part of Netanyahu. “What will be effective in this war is the expulsion of terrorists,” said Minister Ariel. “The Cabinet needs to decide that Arabs not travel in locations where they attacked Jews, but they must instead travel around.”

In correlation, Minister Ariel also demanded more construction of Jewish homes in Judea and Samaria.

“We are demanding the Prime Minister to strengthen security but in parallel, we must continue building in Judea and Samaria,” Minister Ariel said. “We are working so that the Prime Minister will work to adopt these recommendations and to strengthen his hands on construction in Jerusalem, and we hope that he will build more throughout Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria.”

Other Members of Knesset who spoke included members from Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Likud party such as MK David Amsalem. “The state of Israel must do everything possible to protect the security of the residents,” stressed Amsalem. “I am calling for the Defense Minister to coordinate all efforts.  The army should focus its efforts (in Judea and Samaria), just like all over the country.”

Deputy Minister of Regional Cooperation Ayoub Kara who is not only a member of the Likud Party but a Druze-Israeli as well, also expressed his solidarity. “I stopped everything to come and tell you that I am with you, love you, I am strengthening you,” said MK Kara to the demonstrators. “We must substantially change how we deal with terrorism. We will do everything to save you.”

Meanwhile, on Sunday, a Palestinian terrorist stabbed and killed a young Israeli woman at the Gush Etzion Junction in Judea.

Anav Silverman contributed to this article.