The ministerial committee dealing with the unauthorized outposts in Judea and Samaria convened Sunday to begin preparing their destruction. In keeping with Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter's promise last week that there will always be dialogue with the settlement leaders before taking action, Committee Chairman Chaim Ramon met last week with MK Uri Ariel and other Yesha leaders.
"I very much hope that decisions will not be made before both sides are heard," said Ariel before the meeting. Ariel, who heads the joint National Religious Party/National Union Knesset faction, said, "Ramon has said that he is in favor of dialogue; he must know that true dialogue begins before decisions are made, and not afterwards."
The discussion centered on the recently renewed orders to demolish 12 outpost communities and the government's ultimate plans to raze dozens more. Among the outposts slated for imminent removal are:
* Givat Assaf near Beit El
* Givat HaRoeh near Eli
* Givat HaDegel near Karnei Shomron
* Hazon David near Kiryat Arba, and
* Maaleh Rehavam in eastern Gush Etzion.
Many of them have great strategic and other importance. Givat Assaf, for example, occupies a critical junction along the Jerusalem-Beit El-Shilo highway, and is populated by 14 families. Givat HaRoeh, opposite Eli, has 17 families.
Likud MK Silvan Shalom, the former Foreign Minister who has said that he will challenge Binyamin Netanyahu for leadership of the Likud, told Voice of Israel Radio on Sunday, "The removal of the outposts is something that should have happened a long time ago. For one thing, this is part of the Road Map, and all outposts that were built after 2001 are illegal and therefore must be removed."
Shalom, as well as Israeli government spokesmen, have long not mentioned that the Israeli Cabinet decision of May 25, 2003 resolved that "the implementation of the Road Map plan will take place contingent upon the 14 reservations that Israel submitted to the Americans." Among the reservations are the following points:
"There must be no terrorism during the process. The Palestinians will dismantle the existing security organizations and will form new organizations to combat terror, violence and incitement.
Full performance will be a condition for progress between phases and for progress within phases. The first condition for progress will be the complete cessation of terror, violence and incitement. Progress between phases will come only following the full implementation of the preceding phase."
"I very much hope that decisions will not be made before both sides are heard," said Ariel before the meeting. Ariel, who heads the joint National Religious Party/National Union Knesset faction, said, "Ramon has said that he is in favor of dialogue; he must know that true dialogue begins before decisions are made, and not afterwards."
The discussion centered on the recently renewed orders to demolish 12 outpost communities and the government's ultimate plans to raze dozens more. Among the outposts slated for imminent removal are:
* Givat Assaf near Beit El
* Givat HaRoeh near Eli
* Givat HaDegel near Karnei Shomron
* Hazon David near Kiryat Arba, and
* Maaleh Rehavam in eastern Gush Etzion.
Many of them have great strategic and other importance. Givat Assaf, for example, occupies a critical junction along the Jerusalem-Beit El-Shilo highway, and is populated by 14 families. Givat HaRoeh, opposite Eli, has 17 families.
Likud MK Silvan Shalom, the former Foreign Minister who has said that he will challenge Binyamin Netanyahu for leadership of the Likud, told Voice of Israel Radio on Sunday, "The removal of the outposts is something that should have happened a long time ago. For one thing, this is part of the Road Map, and all outposts that were built after 2001 are illegal and therefore must be removed."
Shalom, as well as Israeli government spokesmen, have long not mentioned that the Israeli Cabinet decision of May 25, 2003 resolved that "the implementation of the Road Map plan will take place contingent upon the 14 reservations that Israel submitted to the Americans." Among the reservations are the following points:
"There must be no terrorism during the process. The Palestinians will dismantle the existing security organizations and will form new organizations to combat terror, violence and incitement.
Full performance will be a condition for progress between phases and for progress within phases. The first condition for progress will be the complete cessation of terror, violence and incitement. Progress between phases will come only following the full implementation of the preceding phase."