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In a previous march, on June 12, 2007, thousands of settlers arrived at the dismantled settlement of Homesh to campaign for its reconstruction. Photo by Olivier Fitoussi /Flash90
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| By Israel Insider staff July 17, 2007 |
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Leaders of the rightwing group Homesh First said on Tuesday that they had postponed a march to the site of the evacuated West Bank settlement which was scheduled to take place later in the day.
The march was meant to mark the two-year anniversary since settlers were forced to evacuate by the IDF as part of the 2005 pullout from Gaza and the northern West Bank.
The group decided to postpone the event due to increased police and IDF presence in the area, though event organizers stated that the match would be rescheduled for the Jewish fast day, Tisha B'Av, which marks the destruction of the first and second temples.
Once at the site of Homesh, the group planned to build a synagogue and remain there. Thousands were expected to participate, each buying a brick for NIS 18.
In anticipation of confrontation during the event, which was not authorized the military, police began setting up roadblocks and dispersing thousands of soldiers and police throughout northern Samaria in order to prevent participators from reaching the site.
Since OC Central Command Maj.-Gen. Gadi Shamni chose not to authorize the event, any participator would essentially be breaking the law and would be arrested.
Sources on the right said, reported Ynetnews, that the government "sees us as an enemy and takes soldiers out of training in accordance with an insane list of priorities."
"The government should send the soldiers to real missions in Israel's defense and not to pursue settlers. They are chasing settlers instead of chasing [al-Aqsa Brigades leader Zakaria] Zubeidi and his wanted friends," said the sources.
Rightwing activist Yossi Dagan, who was evacuated from former Samaria settlement Sa-Nur, harshly criticized Monday US President George W. Bush's call for an end to settlement expansion.
"We are saying to Bush and to Olmert that Homesh is just the start of correcting the mistake that was made [by evacuating settlements]," said Dagan.
Former Neveh Dekalim resident Tzion Ohayan, who heads a Gush Katif group, is also planning a march next week for the site of the former Gaza Strip settlement of Nisanit. MK Uri Ariel (National Union-National Religious Party) and Safed Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu are set to join the march, which will be based on that of Homesh First. |
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