 |
 |
 |
|
|
Settler protest march in Gush Katif, April 2005
|
|
|
|
|
|
| By israelinsider staff March 26, 2007 |
|
| |
 Bookmark to del.icio.us |
| |
On Monday morning hundreds of young Israelis began marching toward Homesh, one of the few West Bank settlements that was evacuated in the summer of 2005 as part of the disengagement plan. By noon, 3,000 people had arrived at the site.
The organizers of the march are hoping that over 5,000 people will take part in the march in protest of the disengagement and in an effort to rebuild the settlement, Haaretz reported.
Boaz Haetzni, one of the main organizers of the protest told Army Radio Monday, "There is a nucleus of 30 families who intend to live there. All the others are [coming to] encourage, to help, to celebrate, and we hope that there will be more than 5,000."
He also said, according to Haaretz, that the purpose of the march is to "renew the battle against the disengagement plan," not just arrive in Homesh.
At first, security forces said they would not allow the settlers to return to Homesh; however, after some discussion the IDF decided it would allow the activists to arrive. Following the discussions, the organizers of the "Homesh First" march said they had an understanding with the IDF that the marchers would reach Homesh only by predetermined routes.
Security forces decided that hundreds of soldiers and police officers would be dispatched to maintain security. There is a fear that Palestinians from neighboring villages will attack the marchers and another fear is that there will be clashes between settlers and soldiers.
The IDF said they would evacuate by force anyone who tried to remain in the area.
The first groups of marchers arrived late in the morning carrying sleeping bags. Others set up tents and mattresses, declaring their intentions to sleep at the site in order to begin rebuilding the settlement. Most are teenagers, but families with children have also arrived in the area.
Yedidia Lerner a 27 year-old former resident of Homesh, was one of the first protestors at the site this morning.
He told Ynetnews, "It took me an hour and a half to get here. I think I was [devastated] by the destruction because I was alone. This is the first time I [have come] here since the evacuation, and my first response was to tear my shirt. I felt the loss, as there is nothing left here."
According to IDF estimates, at least 5,000 activists will participate in the march, but only 1,000 police officers and border police and 500 soldiers will be dispatched to the area. The IDF knows that it will be unable to prevent all the participants from reaching Homesh with such a ratio.
Meanwhile, Palestinian terrorist groups have declared their intentions of attacking settlers who try to return.
Abu Araj, a senior commander of al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades in Jenin, said, "They will face an armed resistance, fire and terror attacks. We shall not ignore this entry, and like in the past, we will exert every effort to liberate our land," Ynetnews reported.
Defense Minister Amir Peretz said Sunday that an "illegal takeover" of Homesh would not be allowed by the security forces and called the organizers of the protest a "group of extremists." According to Peretz, it is primarily the responsibility of the IDF to prevent the march and he said he believes a large enough force has been allocated, Haaretz reported.
On Monday Peretz explained that the IDF had instructions to ensure that "there are no law violations and no takeover of any part of the Homesh area. It should be made clear that if settlers violate the rules and agreements, they will be evacuated without any compromises," Ynetnews reported.
Criticism from the Left
Left-wing Knesset members slammed the government's decision to allow IDF forces to guard the march.
MK Zahava Gal-On (Meretz) said, "The defense minister is turning IDF soldiers, against their will, into accomplices to a crime."
She added, "Instead of the IDF enforcing the law and preventing the settlers from reaching Homesh, it is ensuring their security and facilitating their arrival."
Labor MK Ofir Pines-Paz condemned Defense Minister Peretz and the Prime Minister, saying, "The prime minister's and defense minister's defeatist attitude towards the law-breakers in Homesh proves yet again that we have a morally spineless, agenda-lacking government, which has no right to exist."
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's response to the march to Homesh Monday was, "This visit will end today. I hope we will not have to evacuate the citizens. We are committed to our prior obligation to evacuate illegal outposts, and we have no intention of allowing the establishment of one."
The march is being coordinated by several right-wing groups, not including the Yesha Council. Right-wing groups in Israel criticized the council for failing to prevent the disengagement in 2005. |
|
 
|
|
|
|
Click on the blue headline to read a Talkback comment and respond to it. Click on the  icon to send a private email to the talkback writer. The icon appears only if the writer has decided to be contacted. If no popup window appears, please make sure your popup blocker allows israelinsider.com.
|
|
| |
|
|
