Posted on 06/30/2002 8:11:55 AM PDT by Phil V.
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| w w w . h a a r e t z d a i l y . c o m |
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IDF, settlers evacute three illegal settler outposts in West BankThe Yesha Council of Jewish settlements evacuated three unpopulated illegal settler outposts Sunday afternoon, in coordination with the IDF.
According to an agreement with Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, seven other outposts are to be dismantled by Sunday evening.
One mobile home close to the settlement of Talmon near Ramallah, two mobile homes near the Beit Haggai settlement in the southern Mount Hebron area and two other homes near the settlement of Ma'aleh Hever were evacuated.
Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer said Saturday that a further ten illegal outposts are to be dismantled within the next few days.
Right-wing parties began efforts Sunday to prevent the dismantling of the illegal outposts.
Shas, the National Union, Yisrael b'Aliyah and the National Religious Party held meetings Sunday to discuss how to prevent the evacuation of the settlements.
Earlier, the umbrella organization of the settler movement, the Yesha Council of Jewish settlements, agreed to evacuate the 10 outposts.
Yesha Council heads said Saturday that they had reached an informal understanding with Ben-Eliezer on the evacuation of several outposts, but declined to comment on the Defense Minister's statement.
In an official announcement Sunday, the council said that "Any talks on the dismantling of settlements at this time could be interpreted as a reward and encouragement for terrorism."
Shas chairman Eli Yishai said that the government, not the Defense Minister should have made the decision. MK Zvi Handel (National Union) said that he was working on convening all the right-of-center parties, including Likud representatives, to clarify to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that "If he doesn't stop Ben-Eliezer's anti-Zionist and irresponsible political activity, the entire national camp will act as one bloc to topple the government."
Opposition chairman Yossi Sarid (Meretz) demanded that an official committee of inquiry be established to examine who was responsible for the establishment of 44 new settlements, contrary to the government's stated policy.
Ben-Eliezer, who is also Labor Party chairman, made the comments Saturday during an appearance before the Labor youth committee, at the Holiday Inn in Jerusalem. He told those attending the meeting that most of the illegal outposts were established before he became defense minister, more than a year ago.
Ben-Eliezer and Defense Ministry officials have held intensive contacts on the evacuation of settlements with Yesha heads and Ze'ev Hever, the secretary-general of the Amana movement that assisted in the building of the outposts.
According to the Interior Ministry's population registry there are twenty illegal settler outposts in the West Bank today. Ben-Eliezer said he was determined to dismantle all of them.
The defense minister told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee last week that within days he would dismantle 13 illegal outposts that were built following an agreement he signed with the settlers approximately one year ago.
15 illegal settler outposts established since outbreak of intifada Also taking part in the meeting Saturday were senior IDF officers, among them Deputy Chief of Staff Gabby Ashkenazi, GOC Central Command Major General Yitzhak Eitan, Coordinator of Government Activities in the West Bank and Gaza Major General Amos Gilad, and members of the defense ministry. According to IDF data presented at the meeting, since 1995 sixty illegal settler outposts have been established in the territories. Fifteen illegal settler outposts have been established since the outbreak of the intifada, half of them in the vicinity of Hebron.
A security source told Ha'aretz that it is clear that action needs to be taken. "The situation cannot remain as it is. The IDF cannot guard all of the settler outposts. The Israeli governments fell asleep while on guard duty and allowed this phenomenon to grow, and now the army cannot allot enough forces to guard these settlements."
By Yossi Verter and Amos Harel and Nadav Shragai, Ha'aretz Correspondents
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Now THERE'S some heavy lifting!
Imnho, there is no such thing as an illegal settler ouptpost.
Hey, there were a few articles in the past few days where Israelis rounded up palestinian illegals. I haven't seen you post those.. If pallies can illegaly live in Israel, then what is wrong with settlers? Double standard?
IDEA!!!
For the rest of the year I'll be blue. I'll shill for Israel.
You'll be green. You'll shill for Palestine.
You go first, OK?
At least you admit your lack of objectivity. Definition of the word shill: One who poses as a satisfied customer or an enthusiastic gambler to dupe bystanders into participating in a swindle. <p Very good You admit your racket.
I used to think that you were a relatively bright fellow. BUT . . . NEITHER OF US will become shills untill one or both of us assumes the roll of the other. Are YOU ready to shill? YOU go first.
Cheap flattery won't get you anywhere with me. . NEITHER OF US will become shills untill one or both of us assumes the roll of the other. Are YOU ready to shill? YOU go first.
Actually you already went first.
Not to fear!
What was dismantled were stage props. The settlements are as much diminished as is Hollywood when the stage sceney is shuffled about and changed. Bush will let Sharon be Sharon - - - he will let Israel be Israel.
He probably picked up that strategy second hand form ALANON.
In Phil's world, he is objective...and moral.
Expect a miracle.
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