Ex-IDF Pilot Detained Near Nablus After Clash During Olive Harvest

Former fighter pilot and ex-El Al CEO Yoel Feldshu was detained for questioning on Monday near the Palestinian village of Duma, in the Nablus region, on suspicion of attacking settlers. Police stated they received a report of a "shepherd being attacked," but the "Commanders for Israel's Security" movement, to which Feldshu belongs, countered that "Jewish terror activists attacked Arab women." Former MK Eyal Ben Reuven, also a retired brigadier general, explained the incident occurred while senior former security officials were assisting Palestinians with their olive harvest. Ben Reuven stated that they have been accompanying Palestinian residents for months, helping with their work and ensuring their needs are met, primarily because events in Judea and Samaria are "unbearable from a values perspective." He added that they came to Duma to help with the olive harvest because residents feared going out to work. After about half an hour, a young man from a nearby outpost allegedly attacked the women and activists present. During the confrontation, his phone fell, and shortly after, more people arrived, leading to a scuffle. Soldiers arrived and calmed the situation, but then detained the activists, informing them they could not leave until police arrived. When police came, they spoke with the settlers but did not question the activists. One activist was taken to the Benjamin station, and as they were leaving, Feldshu was put into a police car. When asked why he was arrested, officers said, "We saw him in a picture."

Ben Reuven described the scene as "difficult and shaking," observing that "violence is winning, and big time." He lamented that "the values we grew up on, mutual responsibility and commitment to help a person in distress, all of these are being pushed aside." He reiterated that residents are afraid to harvest olives due to security concerns, and the activists who came to help ended up being detained. Settlers, however, claimed that "left-wing activists arrived at the grazing lands of the Makhtam LeDavid farm in Benjamin. One of the anarchists attacked the farm's shepherd with a club and wounded him in the head."

Initially, police reported that two suspects were detained for questioning following the report of a shepherd being attacked. Feldshu and the other activist were released under conditions including a ban from the area. Later, police announced the arrest of a right-wing activist, a 15-year-old resident of Jerusalem, who was also released under restrictive conditions after questioning.