Two residents of the Samaria settlement of Givat Ronen have been sentenced to prison terms for their involvement in a confrontation with Palestinian stone-throwers in Huwara last year. The case has ignited controversy and sparked calls for support among settler communities.
As reported by Israel National News, Raz Geron and Hanoch Rabin received sentences of 3.5 and 3 years respectively for what the prosecution termed as assault on Arabs. The incident occurred during Purim celebrations, approximately a week after the killing of Hallel and Yagel Yaniv in the same area.
According to eyewitness accounts, the event unfolded over several hours, with Jewish vehicles reportedly coming under attack from stone-throwers. One resident from Har Bracha described a scene of "dozens of Arabs with stones" and criticized the military's response as inadequate.
As tensions escalated, more Jewish residents arrived at the scene, resulting in what has been described as "mutual stone-throwing." While no arrests were made among the Palestinian participants, Geron and Rabin were detained and interrogated for two weeks following the incident.
The sentencing has been met with outrage in settler communities. Supporters of the convicted men argue that they were responding to a dangerous situation and claim that the legal system has unfairly targeted them while allowing the initial attackers to go free.
A public campaign has been launched in Samaria to challenge the convictions and provide support to the families affected, particularly Rabin's, who are said to have lost their primary income source.
