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Armed security personnel from a settlement in Gaza. Given the escalation in Palestinian terror attacks on settlers, the IDF is rethinking its position on disarming the settlers. (AP)
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05/22
Haaretz |
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| By Israel Insider staff and partners May 22, 2005 |
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According to military sources, the IDF has postponed collecting weapons from Gaza Strip settlers, and will re-examine at the last minute whether there is a need to do so at all.
Collecting the weapons at this point will cause the settlers to lose confidence in the army, the sources say.
In mid-April, after a meeting with senior officers, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz ordered the army to begin collecting weapons from settlers ahead of the evacuation. Mofaz told IDF officers that the collection was to be coordinated with settler leaders.
Mofaz's directive involves the collection of weapons given by the IDF to settlers serving as security officers of the local authorities, security coordinators of settlements and members of on-call forces in the settlements.
Military sources said these individuals are still carrying out important defense functions in the face of a Palestinian threat, which was shown to be ongoing by the mortar attacks on settlements during the past week. Collecting their weapons will impair their ability to carry out their tasks, and will create a crisis of confidence between them and the army.
Another issue involves small arms, which many settlers have permits from the Interior Ministry to own and carry. The collection of these weapons raises a legal question as to whether a clause in the law can be found that will require settlers to surrender their weapons, without the authorities having to prove that the owner intended to use it for reasons other than self-defense. At the moment, the police and the Interior Ministry are examining settler gun registrations.
In the meantime, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia said a Palestinian ministerial committee he heads has finished making arrangements for the day after the pullout. It would cover security, legal and economic aspects, he said, adding details would be provided later.
Peres said planning for the aftermath of the withdrawal was a complicated process with many details, but warned that any new delaying to the pullout "will endanger the whole process."
The AP contributed to this report.
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