Peres rejects leveling settlers’ homes

Israeli vice Premier Shimon Peres told the Israeli Radio on Tuesday morning that he rejects leveling settlers’ homes in the settlements slated for evacuation in the Gaza Strip.

Peres said that this step will cause negative environmental, economical and political effects, which will hard ‘the image of Israel’.

Peres was commenting on a previous Israeli decision to level the homes in the evacuated settlements; Sharon intends to hold a meeting with Shimon Peres, Benjamin Netanyahu, minister of finance,  minister of internal security Gideon Ezra, minister of justice Tzipi Livni, and minister Haim Ramon.  

The ministers’ committee is not authorized to take a final decision concerning settlers’ homes; the recommendations of the ministers will be taken in consideration during the upcoming government meeting. 

Minister Tzipi Livni offered the settlers on Monday evening to relocate them in Nitzana area in the south; the offer came after a series of meetings with settlers’ representatives.

Livni informed the settlers that if 100.000 persons move to the Nitzana area, the government will agree to their demand of establishing an independent local council for them.

Meanwhile, the Israeli government suggested constructing 1000 units in Ashkelon area, and approved constructing 400 units in the southern part of the Israeli town of Nitzan.

Settlers’ representatives and Livni agreed on May 10th as the finale date for the settlers to provide their response to the government’s offer.

“The government is not trying to give ultimatums to the settlers, but this is an important issue, if they do not provide us with the number of settlers who agree to the Netzanim plan, the government will have to carry it out without prior arrangements”, Livni said. 

Representatives of the finance and justice ministries will be holding meetings with settlers’ representatives in order to ‘find proper solutions for daily issues, and practical solutions regarding moving the families to Nitzanim’, Livni added.

Settlers also demanded the government to increase their compensations, but government representatives inform them the compensation law was already approved by the Knesset and cannot be modified or changed.