Vandalized olive tree near Yitzhar settlement. Photo: wiki commons.

Ynet – While most of the West Bank is experiencing a period of relative calm, one particularly beautiful, mountainous area in Samaria remains as volatile as ever: The Jewish settlement of Yitzhar is surrounded by six Palestinian villages- Burin, Orif, Asira al-Qibliya, Inabus, Madma and Hawara. Houses perched on hillsides and vast olive groves provide a deceptively peaceful setting in a place that is riddled with violence.

A discussion at the office of Orif Council head Fauzi Shehade centers on a recent incident in which a local was shot by a settler from Yitzhar. According to an IDF investigation, Najah al-Safadi, 22, was shot after Jewish teenagers yelled “armed Palestinian.” They then tied him up and beat him. Al-Safadi was rescued by IDF soldiers who dispersed the teens.

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