Israeli police to ban pullout opponents from reaching Gush Katif

Israeli police said on Friday they plan to ban pullout opponents from protesting in the south of the country next week. The decision was made in an attempt to prevent Israeli right-wing activists from reaching the Gush Katif settlement Bloc, in the Gaza Strip.

Pullout opponents are planning a march set on Tuesday evening.

The Police also said that they are planning to prevent busses carrying anti-disengagement demonstrators from reaching the south of the country.

A group which calls itself The Land of Israel Jurist Forum objected to the plan and said that it will appeal to the Israeli High Court of Justice to revoke what it described as the “dictatorial decision”.

Yesha council leaders said that week that they intend to march, on Tuesday evening, to Gush Katif in three separate groups, following their rally in the Israeli Negev town of Sderot.

The police prohibited the march, and declared the Gush Katif settlement bloc as a closed military zone.

The Yesha council of settlement previously decided that one march is to leave from Sderot, past Kfar Mainmon settlement, where a huge protest was stopped by the Israeli police last week.

Two other marches were set to leave from Ofakim and Netivot settlement.

Israeli Police Commissioner Moshe Karadi said that the police would not allow these protests. The statements of Karadi were made following a meeting held on Friday with senior police officers.

Bentzi Lieberman, the Yesha Council chairman, said on Friday that the protestors will not give up what he described as “right to protest”, but they will not clash with the police.

 

Meanwhile, Israeli Interior Minister Ophir Pines-Paz called on local council heads not to assist illegal activities and practices carried out by the settlers during their protests.

Also, Israeli Education Minister Limor Livnat said pullout protestors “acted responsibly” during the Kfar Mainon protest, therefore she would ask the cabinet on its Sunday meeting to allow the Yesha Council to protest against pullout next week. 

Israeli Defense Minister, Shaul Mofaz, called on protestors to act responsibly and with restraint. Also, Israeli Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra said that he supports what he described as “legitimate protests” but he doesn’t accept the settlers’ efforts to wear out the Israeli security forces.

Yesha council leaders fear the thousand of settlers will not adhere to their instructions of not using violence during the protests.

The Israeli security does not believe that most of the settlers will clash with the police, although violence was reported and settlers were facedly evacuated in some areas.

Regarding pullout, the Israeli security and police believe that violent resistance is most likely to occur in Kfar Darom, students of the Torat Haim Yeshiva who currently reside in Neveh Dekalim and Kerem Atzmona, in addition to young settlers scattered throughout the Gush Katif settlement bloc.