They occupied a nearby hill and had to be evicted, gently, by the army. The affair made some noise in the Israeli press. Along with land and welcoming new arrivals, the local committee also takes care of security. It is organised by a reserve officer appointed and paid by the army. Each resident has to take part in guard duty, three hours every six weeks.
Many residents have revolvers.
The procedure is the same, but it depends on the ministry of the interior. No, says David Shawat, even though in 1993 the residents wanted to go on a punitive raid against the Palestinian villages after the death of a young man. But it was the work of some-one mentally deranged. In point of fact, the village lives more or less on a war-footing. This in no way impinges on their determination.