Four foreign activists were arrested by Israeli security forces over the weekend on suspicion of assaulting a Jewish shepherd outside the Palestinian village of Al-Mughayyir, near Ramallah in Samaria.
The suspects were detained as part of a joint operation involving the Judea and Samaria Police District, the Israel Defense Forces and the Population and Immigration Authority, police said.
Police received a report over the weekend that a shepherd had been attacked in an “approved grazing area” near Al-Mughayyir. Officers, including border police, and soldiers were dispatched to the scene, where they arrested the suspects and restored order, the police statement said.
The operation sought to thwart “provocative activities” by foreign activists and left-wing Israelis, as well as prevent “disturbances, friction and damage to Israel’s global image,” it added.
The four suspects were detained on charges of assault, disorderly conduct and violating a military commander’s order, police stated. Two were released after questioning, with police issuing an order barring them from entering Judea and Samaria for 15 days.
The other two were transferred to the Population and Immigration Authority for a hearing, during which a decision was made to deport them and ban them from entering Israel in the future.
Sunday’s police statement did not provide information on the suspects’ nationalities or further details about the assault of the shepherd.
Zo HaDerekh, a publication of the Communist Party of Israel, identified the suspects as three U.S. citizens and an Irish national. JNS contacted the U.S. and Irish embassies, but did not hear back by press time.
The Israel Police in 2024 established a dedicated team to deal with the increasing phenomenon of foreign and Israeli left-wing “anarchists” who are undermining security and stability in Judea and Samaria.
The division, which includes officers from the police’s investigation and intelligence unit who work in cooperation with immigration officials, falls under the office of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
In November, a “foreign activist” was deported over support for the Hamas terrorist organization during a 2024 protest in Melbourne.
Following further investigation and questioning of the suspect, who was said to have publicly “supported and identified with” the terrorist group, the Population and Immigration Authority decided to deport him.
“In accordance with the policies of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levi, the Judea and Samaria District will continue … using all legal tools at its disposal, to thwart and expel subversive elements who are working to harm the public order and the security of the State of Israel,” police stated.
