Ambassador Kurtzer: Removing Outposts Is Not So Easy
The Yesha Council, invariably at odds with the U.S. diplomatic position regarding the settlement enterprise in Judea and Samaria, actually congratulated U.S. Ambassador Dan Kurtzer for a speech he delivered on Monday. Kurtzer said that the "pictures from the evacuation of the outpost in Yitzhar made clear how hard it will be to fulfill the obligations laid out in the Road Map plan."
Meanwhile, two new encampments were established in the Shomron during the night. One was built near Kokhav HaShachar in eastern Binyamin, and the other near Revavah just west of Ariel. Earlier this week, residents of Yitzhar, whose Mitzpeh Yitzhar outpost was dismantled in a 12-hour operation on Thursday, established Givat Ariel.
On the other hand, a populated encampment between Hevron and Kiryat Arba, comprising three tents, was dismantled overnight. A compromise was reached regarding the outpost west of Shavei Shomron: the residents will leave and remove their caravans, but the infrastructures and one concrete building will remain. The residents, who plan to prove the legality of their neighborhood in court, feel that the outpost is on its way to being approved, and that it would therefore be a waste to fight an evacuation now and risk losing the infrastructures.
Next on the list of outposts facing possible removal and destruction is Tel Chaim B, the easternmost point in Beit El. The army is expected to reject the claims made by the residents in yesterday's hearing, and the latter will then have a week within which to appeal to the Supreme Court. In the meantime, they are making efforts to "ready" the site for the arrival of the dismantling forces, and many hundreds of "conscientious objectors" are expected to arrive when needed.
In addition, Civil Administration inspectors have declared that caravans in Talmon - western Binyamin - must be removed. The caravans have been used as classrooms for the past two years, and serve 200 pupils.
The struggle for Hilltop 26, from where the Ozeri widow and orphans were uprooted, continues. A temporary encampment at the site, just east of Kiryat Arba, was removed last night by the army - but Jewish settlers put up another tent there this afternoon.
The Yesha Council, invariably at odds with the U.S. diplomatic position regarding the settlement enterprise in Judea and Samaria, actually congratulated U.S. Ambassador Dan Kurtzer for a speech he delivered on Monday. Kurtzer said that the "pictures from the evacuation of the outpost in Yitzhar made clear how hard it will be to fulfill the obligations laid out in the Road Map plan."
Meanwhile, two new encampments were established in the Shomron during the night. One was built near Kokhav HaShachar in eastern Binyamin, and the other near Revavah just west of Ariel. Earlier this week, residents of Yitzhar, whose Mitzpeh Yitzhar outpost was dismantled in a 12-hour operation on Thursday, established Givat Ariel.
On the other hand, a populated encampment between Hevron and Kiryat Arba, comprising three tents, was dismantled overnight. A compromise was reached regarding the outpost west of Shavei Shomron: the residents will leave and remove their caravans, but the infrastructures and one concrete building will remain. The residents, who plan to prove the legality of their neighborhood in court, feel that the outpost is on its way to being approved, and that it would therefore be a waste to fight an evacuation now and risk losing the infrastructures.
Next on the list of outposts facing possible removal and destruction is Tel Chaim B, the easternmost point in Beit El. The army is expected to reject the claims made by the residents in yesterday's hearing, and the latter will then have a week within which to appeal to the Supreme Court. In the meantime, they are making efforts to "ready" the site for the arrival of the dismantling forces, and many hundreds of "conscientious objectors" are expected to arrive when needed.
In addition, Civil Administration inspectors have declared that caravans in Talmon - western Binyamin - must be removed. The caravans have been used as classrooms for the past two years, and serve 200 pupils.
The struggle for Hilltop 26, from where the Ozeri widow and orphans were uprooted, continues. A temporary encampment at the site, just east of Kiryat Arba, was removed last night by the army - but Jewish settlers put up another tent there this afternoon.