Israeli Peace Now movement announced a new initiative on Wednesday calling the Israeli government to withdraw from 26 West Bank settlements which are relatively isolated within large concentration of Palestinian population.
The movement reported that the initiative aims to raise awareness among the Israeli public to the problematic nature of the settlements in the West Bank.
“The public was aware of the problematic nature of Netzarim and Kfar Darom settlements in the Gaza Strip”, the movement reported, “but they do not know the problematic nature of West Bank settlements”.
Some of the main settlements, Peace Now believes that they should be evacuated, are Alon Moreh, Hermesh, Itzar, Itamar, Kfar Tapoah, Dolev, Tekoa and Ma’alah Amos. The settlements are located east of the Separation Wall area.
Also, peace now added that evacuating those settlements would guarantee geographical contiguity in the southern Hebron area and northern West Bank.
Drud Atks, the head of Peace Now’s settlements tracking committee, said that the most urgent issue at the moment is the evacuation of the Jewish settlement in Hebron area, especially amidst the repeated attacks carried out by the settlers against the Palestinian residents.
Atks added that the movement submitted a request to tour the area, but the Israeli army GOC Central Command suspended his authorization to group members to do so.
