In response to last week’s kidnappings and constant terrorism in Judea and Samaria, the IDF intensified its efforts to weaken Hamas.

IDF soldiers conducted a special operation Monday night in the city of Nablus, arresting dozens of terrorist suspects and uncovering hundreds of weapons in the area. The mission emphasized a key objective of the IDF operation: to weaken Hamas’ terrorist infrastructure inside Judea and Samaria. The operation involved hundreds of forces from the Nahal Brigade, who uncovered guns, explosive devices, grenades and ammunition throughout the city. Soldiers arrested 41 terrorist suspects, bringing to 191 the number detained since the operation began. The IDF is determined to reduce constant acts of terrorism in the region, many of which involve Hamas.

Even as Israeli security measures prevent Hamas violence, the organization’s members plan attacks as part of terror cells. For example, a Hamas-run cell from the region carried out the bombing of a Tel Aviv bus in November 2012, wounding 26 innocent civilians in the attack. Each year, the Israel Security Agency (ISA or Shin Ben Security Service) exposes several of these cells and arrests their members.

On a regular basis, terrorists attempt to break through security fences and attack Israeli civilians in Judea and Samaria. In October 2013, a terrorist infiltrated an Israeli community and attacked a 9-year-old girl who ultimately survived her injuries. Two years earlier, Palestinian terrorists broke into a home in Ariel and brutally stabbed five members of the Fogel family as they lay sleeping.

IDF soldiers are often the targets of attacks in the region. In September of last year, a Palestinian terrorist kidnapped Sgt. Tomer Hazan and murdered him in Judea and Samaria. Last November, a terrorist from the area stabbed Pvt. Eden Atias, a 19-year-old IDF soldier, while he slept on a bus.

Weapons in the hands of terrorists

Each month, IDF forces in the region report discoveries of weapons caches like the ones found Monday night. The soldiers perform frequent searches of Palestinian homes, where they uncover weapons inside of walls and in other hiding places. Just a few weeks ago, Israeli security forces caught a Palestinian man with 12 pipe bombs strapped to his body as he approached troops at Tapuah Junction.

Firebombs

Terror attacks are especially common inside of Judea and Samaria. Every month, Palestinians hurl dozens of firebombs at civilians and passing cars. The attacks instil fear in the region’s residents and risk lives on a daily basis. Just last month, forces reported nearly 100 firebomb incidents throughout the region.

Rocks can kill

Other violence comes in the form of rock throwing, a terror act that threatens to injure and kill civilians. In 2013, the IDF recorded more than 2,400 rock throwing incidents in Judea and Samaria. Thirty percent of these attacks were directed at civilian vehicles, and the incidents injured 116 people in total. Rocks may appear harmless, but they threaten lives.

Explosives

Terrorists use sophisticated explosives to harm as many innocent people as possible. Explosive devices were especially common during the Second Intifada, when they killed hundreds of Israelis in attacks on buses and in other public places. Earlier this year, four IDF soldiers were injured when an explosive device detonated under their patrol jeep.

Shootings

Though not as common as other kinds of terror, shootings repeatedly occur in Judea and Samaria. In September 2013 Palestinian sniper fire killed Sgt. Gabriel Koby, age 20, as he performed routine guard duty in the city of Hebron.

About 1000 IDF soldiers entered Shechem (Nablus) this morning and arrested 41 terror suspects, according to the Hebrew-language 0404 website. During the raid, which focused on the Balata refugee camp, the soldiers confiscated a wide range of weaponry, including rifles, hand grenades, roadside bombs and ammunition.

The website added that local Arabs did not put up resistance to the IDF troops, and that the army will continue the wide scale operation to arrest terror suspects and confiscate weapons

Weapons confiscated from terrorists in Shechem, June 17, 2014

The overnight operation brought the total number of Hamas operatives to be detained to more than 200. One IDF official told the Ynet website that the army is committed “to delivering a strong blow to Hamas and to hitting anything that remotely smells like Hamas.”

The officer added that IDF and Palestinian security forces are maintaining a “very reasonable” level of coordination.

Ynet also reported that IDF troops also raided Hamas offices and organizations in Hebron in order to confiscate classified documents and materials that could link the group to terror activities in Judea and Samaria. The report cited a senior security official who believe Hamas activities in Hebron include laundering money earmarked for social programs but is used to finance terror attacks.

The army also confirmed that troops demolished several illegal structures owned by Hamas north of Hebron. In addition, IDF troops in Ramallah arrested Aziz Kayed, director general of al-Aqsa Television, Hamas’ Judea and Samaria-based TV station.

A Palestinian Authority terrorist opened fire on IDF troops securing Joseph’s Tomb in Shechem for the visit of 3000 Jewish worshipers to Jewish holy site.

It began with Palestinian Authority Arabs throwing stones at the IDF troops, who responded with anti-riot weapons. The PA Arabs then escalated the attack into live fire.

IDF troops shot back at a Palestinian Authority Arab terrorist, seriously wounding him. He managed to initially escape, but the troops gave chase, caught and arrested him, and took him to the Rabin Medial Center in Petach Tikva.

No IDF soldiers or Jewish worshipers were injured in this attack.

In 2011, Ben-Yosaf Livnat, the nephew of Minister Limor Livnat was killed by 3 members of the Palestinian Authority Security Forces at Joseph’s Tomb.

In 2000, IDF soldier Madhat Yousuf bled to death after being abandoned for 5 hours at Joseph’s tomb, by then Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, following a Palestinian Authority Arab attack on the site. Barak gave the order to not launch a rescue operation in order to avoid escalating the situation.

IDF soldiers have uncovered a weapons cache during a special raid Wednesday night in Shechem, located in north-central Samaria and where the Palestinian Authority is supposed to be responsible for security.

The cache included two pistols, parts of an M-16 rifle, more than 100 ammunition clips, ammunition and other military equipment.

The IDF has recovered more than 100 bullets, military equipment, improvised weapons, Molotov cocktails, three pistols, five rifles, and three knives in ten different incidents the past two months.

Six shooting attacks have been executed against Israeli civilians by Palestinian terrorists during the same period, the last incident having occurred this past Tuesday morning, when Arabs shot at a public bus that was driving in the Samaria. There were no passengers at the time, and the driver was not injured.

Two weeks ago, another bus was also shot in the same area. That bus was carrying passengers, but no one was injured.

A few days later, more than 30 bullets were shot at an armored army ambulance, five of which hit the armored plating.

Early Tuesday morning, Arabs shot at an Afikim bus number 101, that was driving to the Tapuach junction in the Shomron. There were no passengers in the bus at the time. The driver was not injured.

The army temporarily locked down Hawarwa, near Shechem, where the shooting occurred, while the IDF searched for the shooter.

The IDF found 4 pistol bullet casings at the site of the shooting.

Two weeks ago, another Afikim bus was also shot in the same area. That bus was carrying passengers and no one was injured.

A few days later, more than 30 bullets were shot at an armored army ambulance, 5 of which hit the armored plating. That attacked occurred in the Hursa village near Negohot. No one was injured.

There have been 6 shooting attacks against Israelis in Judea and Samaria in the past 2 months.

Overnight two firebombs were thrown, and there were eight stone throwing incidents, including at the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hevron, in different attacks throughout Judea and Samaria.

No one was injured in those attacks.

The Shabak (Israeli General Security Services) has removed the gag order on the capture of three of the terrorists who were involved in the murder of Ben-Yosef Livnat at Joseph’s Tomb in Shechem in 2011. That attack also wounded five additional Israelis.

Two other terrorists involved in the attack have not yet been captured, according to a report in Arutz-7.

Ben-Yosef Livnat (24) from Elon Moreh, was a father of four, and the nephew of Minister Limor Livnat.

The three terrorists were members of the Palestinian Security Forces. Following their terror attack, they were put into a Palestinian jail to protect them from capture by the IDF.

A few months ago they were released (or “escaped”). The IDF captured them in May.

The Boulder City Council Monday night decided to leave the “peace process” for those with less common sense and overwhelmingly nixed a controversial proposal to adopt Nablus, the Arab version of the Biblical city of Shechem, as a sister city.

The council voted 7-2 against the proposal, according to the local ABC outlet Denver Channel, while the Boulder Daily Camera reported that the vote was 6-3.

Twinning cities is an international project, and even Israel cities have “sisters’ in the Palestinian Authority.

The problem with American and European cities twinning with those in the Palestinian Authority  is the political overtone.

Boulder has seven sister cites, in non-sensitive places – Kenya, Tajikistan, Nicaragua, Tibet, Mexico, Japan and Cuba.

The Palestinian Authority, of course, is not even a country, and that would not be an obstacle to its being twinned by an American city if it were not for the fact that twinning gives PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas the very ground support he has been trying to drum for more than eight years with a single minded aim.

He wants to create a new independent Arab country within Israel’s borders, which the international community insists do not exist.

Any city that has the lofty aim of generating peace with Arabs in Judea and Samaria cannot escape the fact it is involving itself with foreign affairs, even if unintentionally.

Being against twinning with Nablus does not mean taking a stand against the Palestinian Authority. It simply means that understanding culture and creating friendships in Tibet, Kenya and Japan is not the same as doing so in Palestinian Authority cities.

The Boulder-Nablus Sister City Project has been around for two years. Its stated mission sounds ideal.

“Both Arabs and Muslims are misrepresented and maligned by negative stereotyping in the US and we hope, through meaningful exchanges, to offer citizens of Boulder the opportunity to form friendships and to put a human face to the people of Palestine,” according to its website.

Isn’t that nice?

Of course, it is true. Arabs and Muslims are misrepresented. So are Jews. So are blacks, whites, Israeli settlers, Puerto Ricans, homosexuals, terrorists, clowns, Samantha Power and The Good Humor Man.

It is very nice that some well-meaning Americans in Colorado want to discover the truth about Arabs in the Palestinian Authority, but twinning with Nablus is not the way.

Americans, from Condoleezza Rice, to Hillary Clinton, her hubby Bill, John Kerry, President Obama and just about every other American citizen who “knows about the Middle East – the whole bunch of them really don’t have a clue.

If they did, they would not embark on peace processes and twining projects. You will never get to know Israel culture or Arab culture by eating a felafel with a Sabra or smoking a water pipe with an Arab.

In the political atmosphere that has suffocated the Arab-Jewish atmosphere ever since the creation of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the truth sounds like a lie and the lie sounds like the truth.

In this context, the “human face” that the good citizens of Boulder want to find in the Palestinian Authority would come at the expense of Jews and Israel. No matter what happens in the Palestinian Authority, it is Israel’s fault.

If the Palestinian Authority  economy sags, it is because of Israel checkpoints. If the economy improves, it is despite Israel checkpoints.

If Arabs are not happy, it is because of the occupation. If they are happy, it proves their endurance in the face of the Occupation.

The Intermountain Jewish News wrote, “At best the supporters are idealistic and naive, enamored with the Palestinian underdog status. But the leaders of the underdogs are haters, and stand in opposition to everything Boulder stands for.”

“I’m not sure I want to attach Boulder’s name to it,” Boulder Mayor Matt Appelbaum,  told the Boulder  Daily Camera.

“This is not going to be a decision that resolves the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is a bleeding wound,” said Boulder City Councilman Macon Cowles.

The city council heard four hours of testimony from 70 speakers before voting against the idea.

“It is dividing our Boulder community, rather than uniting us to work for peace,” said Beth Ornstein, a member of Bonai Shalom.