The struggle against the activities of the Shin Bet’s Jewish Division is intensifying: Heads of authorities in Judea and Samaria appealed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday night with an unequivocal demand to close the division at the upcoming Cabinet meeting.

A letter sent to the Prime Minister's Office stated that the division, which has been operating since the 1990s under the auspices of the Shin Bet (ISA), does not fulfill its role vis-à-vis all citizens of the state: "For decades, the Jewish Division has not been an anti-terrorism unit against all citizens of the state, but rather an intelligence body that acts only against Jewish residents in Judea and Samaria by using illegal measures."

The heads of the authorities added: "Last night we were exposed to many of the opinions and tactics of the division head, but unfortunately these have been common in the division for a very long time. A body that functions in such a selective manner has no place in a democratic state."

They also noted that investigations against normative citizens – including IDF reservists and residents of Judea and Samaria – must be carried out in accordance with the law and by the police only: "If there is a suspicion of an offense committed by any other Israeli resident, the Israel Police is in charge of the investigation, and not some secret body with methods of operation that lack public supervision."