Mughar Al-Kharrub Warns of Right-Wing Incitement Over Al-Russ Area

Local authorities in Mughar Al-Kharrub have condemned escalating provocations by right-wing settlers and activists in the Al-Russ area during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. The local council and popular committee stated on Monday that these provocations, coupled with inflammatory statements by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich against residents, are unacceptable. They announced plans to approach the police to halt these actions, while also signaling a potential return to peaceful popular mobilization if the situation does not improve. The authorities emphasized their refusal to be drawn into provocations but vowed not to remain silent in the face of incitement.

In a statement released late Monday, the council and committee detailed that provocations by right-wing activists, including videos inciting against Arabs and Mughar Al-Kharrub residents, have continued in the Al-Russ area during Sukkot. They linked these actions to Smotrich's inflammatory remarks and attempts to escalate tensions. The statement affirmed, "We will not be drawn into provocation, but we will not be silent about incitement against our people and our town."

The head of the local council is set to petition the police to intervene and stop the provocations and incitement. The statement warned that a failure to intervene would lead to the resumption of organized, peaceful popular protests. It also praised the local youth for their dedication and urged unity and coordination through the popular committee and local council, cautioning against uncoordinated individual actions that could be exploited by extremists.

This situation follows the dismantling of a settler outpost established by "Hilltop Youth" near Mughar Al-Kharrub in the Galilee. The new plan reportedly involves re-establishing the site a few hundred meters away, on land claimed by the Jewish National Fund (JNF), with local guards from the "Hashomer Hachadash" organization replacing settlers from the occupied West Bank. The original outpost in the Al-Russ area faced local opposition and legal challenges demanding its removal and access for landowners.

Earlier in the month, tents were removed and settlers left the site after protests and pressure on the police to enforce an evacuation order. The local council, in cooperation with the Adalah legal center, pursued legal avenues. The outpost's dismantling occurred after a JNF meeting, during which the organization was considering establishing a pastoral outpost in the same area.