The Ramat HaNegev Regional Council has decided to establish new communities - some would call them settlements - in the sparsely-built Halutza Sands area of the Negev, southeast of the Gaza Strip. Former Justice Minister Yossi Beilin has attacked the initiative. Mayor Shmulik Rifman (Labor) explained the background to Arutz-7 today:
\"Unfortunately, [last year] then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak agreed to give away this area, even though it is an integral part of the State of Israel and has never been a matter of dispute. Then came a new government, and Prime Minister Sharon has promised to develop the region. He generally keeps his promises, if he can... We know that only places that are settled by Jews have a chance of not being given away... Three weeks ago, we sat with Infrastructures Minister Avigdor Lieberman, and he asked us for plans. We have in fact drawn up a plan that calls for the strengthening of the Kerem Shalom area [near Rafiach] and the Nitzana area [much further south along the Israeli-Egyptian border] with five new towns in between them... We are in the advanced stages of planning for the first town, named Be\'er Milka, and a group of religious youth who wish to settle there has already been formed.\"
Uzi Keren, Prime Minister Sharon\'s new advisor on settlement affairs, told Arutz-7 today that he hopes to include in his job at least three aspects: \"Helping to set policy, giving ideas, and mediating between settlement leaders and the Prime Minister. For instance, the Jordan Valley area is experiencing real difficulties these days, so I advised Sharon to visit them, and he did so... Sharon himself is also a settler expert, and is very sympathetic to the cause.\"
Keren, whose job-description includes settlement affairs on both sides of the Green Line, has an impressive background: He is a Brig.-Gen. (res.) who commanded an IDF armored division and was a veteran of Golan battles in 1967 and 1973. In addition, he was a prominent activist on behalf of the Golan, and helped start a solidarity group last autumn on behalf of the besieged residents of Judea and Samaria. \"Galilee mayors came to the Prime Minister\'s office yesterday,\" Keren said, giving another example of his work, \"and asked for similar consideration and benefits that have recently been granted to the Negev. I believe that Sharon plans to help them, but of course the financial question is a problem.\" When asked what is considered \"natural growth\" for Judea and Samaria, Keren said, \"It\'s a pretty broad term, but I think it includes natural birth rate, a certain amount of new families, etc. - but not doubling the size of a town with an outside group.\"
\"Unfortunately, [last year] then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak agreed to give away this area, even though it is an integral part of the State of Israel and has never been a matter of dispute. Then came a new government, and Prime Minister Sharon has promised to develop the region. He generally keeps his promises, if he can... We know that only places that are settled by Jews have a chance of not being given away... Three weeks ago, we sat with Infrastructures Minister Avigdor Lieberman, and he asked us for plans. We have in fact drawn up a plan that calls for the strengthening of the Kerem Shalom area [near Rafiach] and the Nitzana area [much further south along the Israeli-Egyptian border] with five new towns in between them... We are in the advanced stages of planning for the first town, named Be\'er Milka, and a group of religious youth who wish to settle there has already been formed.\"
Uzi Keren, Prime Minister Sharon\'s new advisor on settlement affairs, told Arutz-7 today that he hopes to include in his job at least three aspects: \"Helping to set policy, giving ideas, and mediating between settlement leaders and the Prime Minister. For instance, the Jordan Valley area is experiencing real difficulties these days, so I advised Sharon to visit them, and he did so... Sharon himself is also a settler expert, and is very sympathetic to the cause.\"
Keren, whose job-description includes settlement affairs on both sides of the Green Line, has an impressive background: He is a Brig.-Gen. (res.) who commanded an IDF armored division and was a veteran of Golan battles in 1967 and 1973. In addition, he was a prominent activist on behalf of the Golan, and helped start a solidarity group last autumn on behalf of the besieged residents of Judea and Samaria. \"Galilee mayors came to the Prime Minister\'s office yesterday,\" Keren said, giving another example of his work, \"and asked for similar consideration and benefits that have recently been granted to the Negev. I believe that Sharon plans to help them, but of course the financial question is a problem.\" When asked what is considered \"natural growth\" for Judea and Samaria, Keren said, \"It\'s a pretty broad term, but I think it includes natural birth rate, a certain amount of new families, etc. - but not doubling the size of a town with an outside group.\"