The Yesha Council released a statement on the outposts in which it explained as follows:
"This past Tuesday night, Yesha Council leaders were called to an urgent meeting with Central Command O.C., Gen. Moshe Kaplinsky - not to discuss an intensification of the war against terrorism, but to present an order dumped on the IDF brass by Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer: to dismantle and uproot outposts in Judea and Samaria. Ben-Eliezer claims that the outposts are illegal and are a security burden. We totally dismiss this claim; the entire issue of outposts arose only because of external political considerations and party interests."
A Voice of Israel poll showed that over 70% of Israeli citizens - and 62% of Labor voters - agree. They told pollsters they believe that Ben-Eliezer's desire to uproot outposts was based on his own political considerations, not security.
Regarding the legal issues, outpost proponents quoted IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Yaalon as saying recently, "The overwhelming majority of the existing outposts have been approved by the government echelons." It was also noted that the others are in various stages of the approval process. Professors for a Strong Israel asks, "If Mr. Ben-Eliezer is really concerned about the Rule of Law, why doesn't he start with the massive illegal Arab construction in Yesha, in Jerusalem, and inside the Green Line?"
Similarly, Dr. Aryeh Bachrach of Beit El, speaking for the Assaf Outpost, told Arutz-7's Yosef Zalmanson today,
"Keeping the law is not at all what interests left-wing opponents of the outposts such as [opposition leader MK] Yossi Sarid - and the proof is that when the courts ordered an illegal Arab structure removed, they went and demonstrated against it. This is totally a political, and not a legal, issue - so why should we pay the price of their political problems?"
Regarding the security value of the outposts, the Yesha Council says that "their establishment was well thought-out," and that "their very existence fulfills strategic purposes from both security and settlement standpoints. Some of them - such as the Gilad Farm south of Shechem and the Assaf Outpost between Beit El and Ofrah - contribute to territorial contiguity and security on the roads. Others, such as Haresha in western Binyamin, help Israel keep hilltops that are critical for the security of Ben Gurion International Airport and the coastal plain towns."
The Yesha Council statement ends on an optimistic note:
"Over decades of settlement, we have known ups and downs, settlement and evacuation. Even when we were distanced from a given point in the heart of the land, we knew that the day would not be far off when we would return again... We were able to overcome Oslo - we settled and grew; we were able to overcome terrorism - we absorbed new families and we won; we will also overcome small-time politics and intrigues."
"This past Tuesday night, Yesha Council leaders were called to an urgent meeting with Central Command O.C., Gen. Moshe Kaplinsky - not to discuss an intensification of the war against terrorism, but to present an order dumped on the IDF brass by Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer: to dismantle and uproot outposts in Judea and Samaria. Ben-Eliezer claims that the outposts are illegal and are a security burden. We totally dismiss this claim; the entire issue of outposts arose only because of external political considerations and party interests."
A Voice of Israel poll showed that over 70% of Israeli citizens - and 62% of Labor voters - agree. They told pollsters they believe that Ben-Eliezer's desire to uproot outposts was based on his own political considerations, not security.
Regarding the legal issues, outpost proponents quoted IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Yaalon as saying recently, "The overwhelming majority of the existing outposts have been approved by the government echelons." It was also noted that the others are in various stages of the approval process. Professors for a Strong Israel asks, "If Mr. Ben-Eliezer is really concerned about the Rule of Law, why doesn't he start with the massive illegal Arab construction in Yesha, in Jerusalem, and inside the Green Line?"
Similarly, Dr. Aryeh Bachrach of Beit El, speaking for the Assaf Outpost, told Arutz-7's Yosef Zalmanson today,
"Keeping the law is not at all what interests left-wing opponents of the outposts such as [opposition leader MK] Yossi Sarid - and the proof is that when the courts ordered an illegal Arab structure removed, they went and demonstrated against it. This is totally a political, and not a legal, issue - so why should we pay the price of their political problems?"
Regarding the security value of the outposts, the Yesha Council says that "their establishment was well thought-out," and that "their very existence fulfills strategic purposes from both security and settlement standpoints. Some of them - such as the Gilad Farm south of Shechem and the Assaf Outpost between Beit El and Ofrah - contribute to territorial contiguity and security on the roads. Others, such as Haresha in western Binyamin, help Israel keep hilltops that are critical for the security of Ben Gurion International Airport and the coastal plain towns."
The Yesha Council statement ends on an optimistic note:
"Over decades of settlement, we have known ups and downs, settlement and evacuation. Even when we were distanced from a given point in the heart of the land, we knew that the day would not be far off when we would return again... We were able to overcome Oslo - we settled and grew; we were able to overcome terrorism - we absorbed new families and we won; we will also overcome small-time politics and intrigues."