All those who wished for Israel’s defense establishment to treat “Jewish nationalistic crimes” in the same way as it does Palestinian terrorism, can tell themselves with some satisfaction that on Monday night it finally happened. The demolition of the illegal structures at Yitzhar by security forces is the implementation in the West Bank, slowly but surely, of the same policy of deterrence used to fight rocket fire from Gaza.

The repeated slashing of tires on vehicles belonging to the IDF brass by the rioters at Yitzhar was greeted with the same action that is designed to cause the most pain to terrorist targets – demolition of their homes. The action, which is proportionate, is intended to both deter and change the rules of the game.

It’s still too soon to know if this policy of deterrence, the brainchild of Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, will have the desired effect. It’s fair to say it won’t. The settler hilltop youth and their supporters, those nationalistic criminals, will keep up their relentless “price tag” attacks against the IDF and Palestinians, given that their motivation is in no way lessened by physical punishment.

Read the article in full at Ynet.