"It appears that people who live in Yesha lose their most fundamental civil rights," Eichler told Arutz-7 today, "when the police come to remove them from their homes. We heard the most horrific description of the way a widow [terrorist victim Nati Ozeri's widow Livnat] and her five children were thrown out of their home in the middle of the night.
Eichler said that the discussion centered on the brutal way in which these evacuations are carried out, and that "this is apparently the result of the public de-legitimization of this entire population sector that has gone on for years."
Arutz-7's Ruti Avraham reports that participating in the session were MKs Omri Sharon and Uri Ariel, the Defense Minister's aide for settlement affairs Ron Shechner, Yesha Council head Adi Mintz, a representative of the Child Welfare Council, the Police Department's Legal Counsel for Yesha, and others. MK Eichler said that the purpose of the session was to check how these evacuations affect the children and other family members, what happens to their property, whether there is advance warning, and the like.
Dr. Ne'ima Erlich, a psychologist who was among those who initiated the session, said that children could suffer great harm from evacuations of this nature. She said that studies have shown that this harm can be manifest in difficulty in concentration and functioning, as well as in development. Dr. Bilhah Levy of the Education Ministry's Psychological Service confirmed this.
Dr. Erlich said that the commanders should explain to their soldiers that they are dealing with civilians, and not with an enemy, and that they should be considerate of their feelings and of their property. Dr. Levy noted that the soldiers participating in such actions could also be negatively harmed - and Ron Shechner of the Defense Ministry added that in truth, these evacuations should not have to be carried out by soldiers. "Everyone is harmed by these actions," he said, "- soldiers, policemen, and those who are evacuated. It's a national problem."
Arutz-7's Avraham noted that Orit Strook of Hevron compared the current dismantlings to that which happened in the last evacuation of this nature - in the Sinai city of Yamit, in 1982. "The army treated us much differently then," Strook said. "They packed up our belongings the same way I would have, and in general were very considerate. They made efforts to find us later, and delivered our belongings to wherever we were. On the other hand, in the recent dismantling of Mitzpeh Yitzhar, more than one person has testified that the soldiers threw around furniture and actually burned them. The rest of their property was later found in trash bins at the Shomron IDF headquarters," she said, showing photographs as evidence of what she had described.
MK Yigal Yasinov (Shinui) said, "If this is true, then this is an abomination." He demanded that the police and army produce the results of their internal investigations of these incidents.
The committee decided that homes should be made ready to serve the evacuated for a set period of time, that their belongings should be packed up, and that insurance should be paid to cover property damage. In addition, minors must be removed from the area by relatives ahead of time - which means that word of an impending evacuation must be given in advance. The Welfare Ministry was asked to prepare to deal with evacuated families that suffer psychological or property damage.
Finally, the Public Security and Defense Ministers were called upon to establish a body that will oversee evacuations and dismantlings, and ensure that basic dignity of persons and property be preserved. "Our committee's authorities," Chairman Eichler told Arutz-7, "are the same as any other Knesset committee. For instance, the police didn't even want to come - but they were forced to and sit opposite Livnat Ozeri's father and Orit Strook and explain their actions... We had a Defense Ministry official and a police representative at the session for this very reason. They must report to their superiors on what they heard, and there is no reason in the world why these orders to maintain the dignity of those being evacuated should not be preserved the next time something of this sort happens. If in fact the same severe events occur, then this is a violation of the law, and we will use every parliamentary sanction at our disposal in response."
Eichler said that the discussion centered on the brutal way in which these evacuations are carried out, and that "this is apparently the result of the public de-legitimization of this entire population sector that has gone on for years."
Arutz-7's Ruti Avraham reports that participating in the session were MKs Omri Sharon and Uri Ariel, the Defense Minister's aide for settlement affairs Ron Shechner, Yesha Council head Adi Mintz, a representative of the Child Welfare Council, the Police Department's Legal Counsel for Yesha, and others. MK Eichler said that the purpose of the session was to check how these evacuations affect the children and other family members, what happens to their property, whether there is advance warning, and the like.
Dr. Ne'ima Erlich, a psychologist who was among those who initiated the session, said that children could suffer great harm from evacuations of this nature. She said that studies have shown that this harm can be manifest in difficulty in concentration and functioning, as well as in development. Dr. Bilhah Levy of the Education Ministry's Psychological Service confirmed this.
Dr. Erlich said that the commanders should explain to their soldiers that they are dealing with civilians, and not with an enemy, and that they should be considerate of their feelings and of their property. Dr. Levy noted that the soldiers participating in such actions could also be negatively harmed - and Ron Shechner of the Defense Ministry added that in truth, these evacuations should not have to be carried out by soldiers. "Everyone is harmed by these actions," he said, "- soldiers, policemen, and those who are evacuated. It's a national problem."
Arutz-7's Avraham noted that Orit Strook of Hevron compared the current dismantlings to that which happened in the last evacuation of this nature - in the Sinai city of Yamit, in 1982. "The army treated us much differently then," Strook said. "They packed up our belongings the same way I would have, and in general were very considerate. They made efforts to find us later, and delivered our belongings to wherever we were. On the other hand, in the recent dismantling of Mitzpeh Yitzhar, more than one person has testified that the soldiers threw around furniture and actually burned them. The rest of their property was later found in trash bins at the Shomron IDF headquarters," she said, showing photographs as evidence of what she had described.
MK Yigal Yasinov (Shinui) said, "If this is true, then this is an abomination." He demanded that the police and army produce the results of their internal investigations of these incidents.
The committee decided that homes should be made ready to serve the evacuated for a set period of time, that their belongings should be packed up, and that insurance should be paid to cover property damage. In addition, minors must be removed from the area by relatives ahead of time - which means that word of an impending evacuation must be given in advance. The Welfare Ministry was asked to prepare to deal with evacuated families that suffer psychological or property damage.
Finally, the Public Security and Defense Ministers were called upon to establish a body that will oversee evacuations and dismantlings, and ensure that basic dignity of persons and property be preserved. "Our committee's authorities," Chairman Eichler told Arutz-7, "are the same as any other Knesset committee. For instance, the police didn't even want to come - but they were forced to and sit opposite Livnat Ozeri's father and Orit Strook and explain their actions... We had a Defense Ministry official and a police representative at the session for this very reason. They must report to their superiors on what they heard, and there is no reason in the world why these orders to maintain the dignity of those being evacuated should not be preserved the next time something of this sort happens. If in fact the same severe events occur, then this is a violation of the law, and we will use every parliamentary sanction at our disposal in response."