Settlers and police make deal on Gaza march

The Israeli daily Haaretz reported that the Israeli police will allow some 30, 000 anti-disengagement protestors to march to Netiovot settlement to enter Kfar Maimon where they will spend the night.

The negotiations were carried out on Monday night in Kfar Maimon at the home of MK Yitzhak Levy, from the Religious Zionism party.

 

The settlers begun their protest with a rally in Netivot and intended to continue to Kfar Maimon, eight kilometers away, and then onto Gush Katif.

 

Police sources said that before the agreement was reached the marchers had not been permitted to enter Kfar Maimon and instead would only be allowed to reach an area a kilometer away.

 

Thousands of soldiers and policemen had been deployed in the area and police officers and members of the border guards units attempted to bar the settlers from marching into Kfar Maimon.

 

The Israeli police reported that the settlers have now confirmed that they will not take actions which have not been coordinated with the police and that the protestors promised to remain in Kfar Maimon for the night.

 

The march was carried out by some 30, 000 protestors. Minor clashes were reported as a group of young settlers attempted to break through a wall of soldiers.

 

The organizers of the march are considering splitting the protestors into dozens of small groups in an attempt to bypass police checkpoints.

 

Leaders of the Yesha Council of settlements instructed leaders of small groups not to act violently or resist arrest.

 

Earlier on Monday, former Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu said that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon should ‘disengage from the disengagement.’

 

Also on Monday, Israeli Internal Security Minister Gideon Ezra said that he will not allow the protestors to reach the end of the road which leads to the Gush Katif settlement bloc.

 

“We will not allow them to enter a closed military zone,” Ezra said.

 

This all occurred despite Ariel Sharon signing an order, last week, declaring the Gaza Strip and its settlements closed military zones to the Israelis.