The implementation of the Israeli prime Minster’s declaration on the immediate removal of unauthorized settlers’ outposts can trigger settlers violence, force national union ministers to resign, and can result in authorizing 100 similar out posts.
According to Israeli security sources, Defense Minster Shaul Mofaz is discussing with his security aids the implementation of Sharon’s promise to remove unauthorized settlers outposts. According to the security sources, the number of outposts to be removed is only 12-15 out of the 120 that already exist. Israeli security sources described the process of evacuation as ‘gradual and subject to assessment based on settlers reactions on the ground.’ The security establishment is worried that some extreme settler groups like Noar Hagvaot might resist the evacuation violently and might use arms against soldiers and police.
The Israeli general intelligence system (Shabak) is worried that the evacuation of the unauthorized outposts might result in attempts from the side of extremist Jews to harm the Prime Minster. Extremest’s talks, inside closed rooms such as ‘Sharon should walk the same path of Rabin’ were reported. Slogans such as ‘the road map is a road to Aushfitz’ were seen written in the streets of Jerusalem. The security establishment is considering a limitation on Sharon’s public appearance.
In the settler’s called demonstartion in Jerusalem yesterday (June 4th, 2003) around 40,000 demonstrators showed up to demonstrate their opposition to the road map plan. The Israel Radio reported that one of the demonstrators waved a sign reading ‘Sharon is a traitor.’ A scuffle broke out when security personnel confiscated the poster and the demonstrator demanded its return.
Mintz, the spokesperson of the Settler’s council warned that right-wing parties in the ruling coalition should not take part in actions that cross what he called ‘red lines.’ He said in an interview with the Israeli radio: ‘When the government begins taking practical steps that will lead to a Palestinian state, this is for us a red line beyond which I think nationalist parties cannot participate,’
MKs Zvi Hendel and Uri Ariel, the two representatives of Tekuma – one of the three
parties that make up the National Union – sent a letter to Sharon hinting that the moment the government starts implementing the road map and evacuating outposts, they will quit the ruling coalition.
The initiative to start those unauthorized settlers outposts were declared by Sharon himself during the ex-prime Minster’s (Barak) preparations for the Camp David summit in the summer of the year 2000. that was a clear attempt from Sharon side to sabotage Barak’s efforts to reach a peaceful agreement with the Palestinian authority. Sharon, then called for settlers to occupy every hilltop in the west bank in what was called then ‘the hilltops war’
In an interview with the Palestinian Minster of internal security Mohammad Dahlan, he warned against naming those settlers posts as ‘illegal’ a term, in his point of view, that can imply that other settlements are ‘legal’.
The unauthorized settler’s outposts are in general few Caravans, and a handful of settlers who are present at the site mostly during day time only.
Palestinian commentators described the action as symbolic and warned against combining it with ‘authorizing the other 100 settler’s unauthorized outposts’
