A group of far-right youth who violated the government’s coronavirus regulations have been quarantined by the IDF in a temporary outpost in the West Bank after shattering the windows of a bus taking them to a quarantine facility and trying to escape.
The group of about 20 hilltop youth from the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar had refused to stay at a government quarantine hotel in Jerusalem after they were told they would have to stay in separate rooms.
They were being bused to another location in the south when they began to riot in the bus, concerned that they were being taken to a Shin Bet detention center. While several youth managed to escape after breaking the windows of the bus, they were caught shortly afterwards by police.
This is crazy. A group of 20 hilltop youth settlers who were in contact with a known corona patient refused to enter a quarantine facility in #Jerusalem. As they were being driven to another location in the south, they rioted in the police bus and broke the windows of the bus https://t.co/LwndsWWZHC— Anna Ahronheim (@AAhronheim) April 6, 2020
In a statement, police said they would be opening an investigation against the youth over the vandalism.
After being bused back to Jerusalem by police they were taken to Metzoke Dragot near the Dead Sea on Monday night where the IDF had set up a temporary quarantine facility where they could stay together in tents.
The group was required to enter quarantine after one of their peers who lived in the Kumi Uri neighborhood of the settlement was diagnosed with the deadly virus. The youth was arrested by Border Police officers two weeks ago after a group of hilltop youth tried to rebuild a synagogue in the flashpoint settlement.
In addition to the 20 youth, the head of the IDF’s Central Command, Maj.-Gen. Nadav Padan was made to enter quarantine on Sunday after he came in contact with the sick youth after touring the neighborhood on Friday.
Padan entered self-quarantine after three other generals, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi, Home Front Command chief Maj.-Gen. Tamir Yadai and the head of IDF Operations Maj.-Gen. Aharon Haliva finished their quarantine period after coming into contact with a reserve officer who was later found to have the disease.
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