Prime Minister Sharon, meeting with reporters in Tel Aviv today, addressed the matter of small civilian outposts in the hills of Yesha (Judea and Samaria). He said that some of them "are very important from a security standpoint - such as those on a hilltop above an existing community; if we get down from there, the Arabs will shoot at the community below..." Sharon said that others, however, were established illegally as mere "provocations" and will be removed.
In response, Gush Etzion Regional Council Sha'ul Goldstein told Arutz-7 today, "I don't understand what he's talking about. The fact that new neighborhoods have great value in terms of security and in terms of our living in the Land of Israel, that I know already. But to say that new Jewish sites on state-owned lands in the Land of Israel are a provocation to the government?! Where is he living? ... He himself, not long ago, told us all to run and take over the hilltops, saying that whatever is in our hands will be ours, and whatever's not, will not... It is simply not ethical to remove Jews from our land - except in a case where someone squatted on privately-owned land..."
Sharon justified Trade Minister Ehud Olmert's decision to mark Israeli products with their city of origin in order to save all of Israel's exports. He said that the government would seek and find a solution to help the Yesha manufacturers who will be forced to pay higher customs on their exports to Europe.
Regarding Netzarim, the Prime Minister said, "I am not willing to make any commitment regarding the future of any specific community." He said again, however, that in the end, Israel would not rule everywhere it rules today. "There is a limit to Israel's patience," he said, "and if we become convinced that the diplomatic process cannot resume, we will employ unilateral measures."
Goldstein responded to this as well: "I think that if Sharon thinks he'll gain something by abandoning Netzarim, he has only to learn from Barak. Barak withdrew from Lebanon and thought that he had made his last concession - but found out three things: that it brought us the current war, which has cost us well over 1,000 lives; and that the Palestinians won't settle for less than 100%; and that Hizbullah has built a tremendous storehouse of weapons just over our border that threatens all of northern Israel. All this was brought about by left-wing pressure to take these steps. The same series of failures could happen in Gaza, Heaven forbid, if we leave." Goldstein had sharp words for Peace Now: "Any normal country would have vomited them out. They have long passed the red line, and it's time to tell them that they are, to some extent, both helping the enemy and abandoning the blood of the Jewish residents..."
Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz conducted a meeting this afternoon on the future of the Yesha outposts. His deputy, MK Ze'ev Boim, said today that some 12 outposts are "un-regulated," and that they would be dismantled when the security conditions allow.
In response, Gush Etzion Regional Council Sha'ul Goldstein told Arutz-7 today, "I don't understand what he's talking about. The fact that new neighborhoods have great value in terms of security and in terms of our living in the Land of Israel, that I know already. But to say that new Jewish sites on state-owned lands in the Land of Israel are a provocation to the government?! Where is he living? ... He himself, not long ago, told us all to run and take over the hilltops, saying that whatever is in our hands will be ours, and whatever's not, will not... It is simply not ethical to remove Jews from our land - except in a case where someone squatted on privately-owned land..."
Sharon justified Trade Minister Ehud Olmert's decision to mark Israeli products with their city of origin in order to save all of Israel's exports. He said that the government would seek and find a solution to help the Yesha manufacturers who will be forced to pay higher customs on their exports to Europe.
Regarding Netzarim, the Prime Minister said, "I am not willing to make any commitment regarding the future of any specific community." He said again, however, that in the end, Israel would not rule everywhere it rules today. "There is a limit to Israel's patience," he said, "and if we become convinced that the diplomatic process cannot resume, we will employ unilateral measures."
Goldstein responded to this as well: "I think that if Sharon thinks he'll gain something by abandoning Netzarim, he has only to learn from Barak. Barak withdrew from Lebanon and thought that he had made his last concession - but found out three things: that it brought us the current war, which has cost us well over 1,000 lives; and that the Palestinians won't settle for less than 100%; and that Hizbullah has built a tremendous storehouse of weapons just over our border that threatens all of northern Israel. All this was brought about by left-wing pressure to take these steps. The same series of failures could happen in Gaza, Heaven forbid, if we leave." Goldstein had sharp words for Peace Now: "Any normal country would have vomited them out. They have long passed the red line, and it's time to tell them that they are, to some extent, both helping the enemy and abandoning the blood of the Jewish residents..."
Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz conducted a meeting this afternoon on the future of the Yesha outposts. His deputy, MK Ze'ev Boim, said today that some 12 outposts are "un-regulated," and that they would be dismantled when the security conditions allow.