Fighting on the Doorstep: Fierce clashes broke out again today, a week after similar events occurred in Kedumim. A border policewoman was injured this evening during a demonstration in the Tzofim settlement, in the Shomron. Residents of the community say that they were subjected to uncalled for violence on the part of the police, and that 11 of the protesters were injured.

According to the protestors, the policewoman was not injured as a result of settler violence, but because she fainted. The official police report states that the policewoman was injured by the settlers, and that she even arrested 3 of them, under suspicion of being involved in the attack. The settlers are adamant: "Her injury has no connection to the event."

Security forces confiscated a number of bulldozers that were doing construction work in the area, against orders forbidding any construction to take place. Initially, the workers attempted to protest the confiscation of their vehicles, by blocking the road before the inspectors. Within minutes, dozens of the settlement residents were on the scene to participate in the spontaneous demonstration. They ignited tires, and blocked the road with boulders, refusing to allow the Civil Administration Inspectors to enter the construction site.

It wasn't long before the violence escalated. Dozens of Yassam (special police forces) arrived to forcibly remove the settlers from the road, and allow the inspectors to pass. The settlers resisted, and said, "The police used excessive force and violence against us."

"I showed them the building permit. They weren't even willing to look at it."

The secretary of Tzufim, Moshe Basa, said in an interview with Ma'ariv: "The inspectors came to a construction site that has permits, and those permits were issued long before they wrote out their orders. They took away a bulldozer that was working there. I showed them the building permit, but they weren't even willing to look at it. They tried to take away the bulldozer – to confiscate it. And all the residents of the settlement blocked the road. They had good reason to do so."

According to Basa, "The police accompanied the criminals, and helped them take away the bulldozer in an illegal manner. There were guys from the settlement who blocked the road. The police were extremely violent, and people here were hurt. Now the residents are standing in the road opposite a truck they brought to take away the bulldozer. And they brought Yassam forces here with helmets and sticks. They intend to use violence against us."

The demonstration eventually ended with no further injuries incurred. The security forces confiscated the bulldozer, a female border guard was moderately injured, and 11 residents of Tzufim were lightly injured. Police arrested 5 of the protestors.