Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is apparently going ahead with his plans for what he calls his "disengagement plan" - known by others as unilateral retreat in face of continued terrorism and no diplomatic options. National Security Advisor Gen. Giora Eiland, who is responsible for getting the plan off the ground, has convened four teams on various aspects of the plan - security, legal, financial (such as compensation to residents who will be expelled) and humanitarian (such as issues of PA employees being allowed in to work). Eiland met with the Prime Minister this afternoon.
The Prime Minister's Bureau was apparently taken off guard by yesterday's Yesha Council press conference in which it was announced that Sharon plans to dismantle and expel the residents of seven outlying Yesha communities. The seven are Kadim and Ganim in northern Shomron; Sa-Nur and Chomesh in central Shomron; and Morag, Kfar Darom and Netzarim in Gaza. The terrorists responded immediately to the news by firing two mortar shells at Netzarim; no one was hurt.
The Yesha Council leaders announced last night that Sharon's top aide Dov Weisglass had not only informed them, for the first time, of semi-official plans to destroy the seven towns - but also asked the Council leaders to agree to the plan. In exchange, the Council heads stated, Weisglass offered to have the Knesset pass a law banning further settlement destruction until the finalization of a permanent agreement with the PA.
The Yesha Council leaders said that they rejected the deal outright.
Following the revelation of his plans, the Prime Minister convened an urgent consultation with his aides and told them that the publicizing of his plan sabotages his intention to provide U.S. President George Bush a detailed plan next month for the stopping of Jewish settlement in Judea, Samaria and Gaza.
Sharon is known as one of the prime forces, over the past three decades, in the development of Jewish cities and towns in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. His break with the Yesha leaders, with whom he worked very closely for so long, was symbolized by the presence at the Yesha Council press conference of his good friend Ze'ev Chever, head of the Amanah settlement organization.
Sharon's consternation at the reports was evident, Yesha Council sources say, in the fact that he departed from his normal custom of maintaining media silence. In an infrequent appearance last night, he denied part of the Yesha Council leaders' accusations, saying that he would not agree to legislate a law that would "tie the hands of the government." He did not relate to the charges that he plans to destroy seven Jewish communities.
Yesha leaders met at the Knesset today with 15 Likud MKs, telling them of the proposals Weisglass put forth last night. Bentzy Lieberman, head of the Yesha Council of Jewish Communities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, told Arutz-7 this morning that the goal is to attempt to make it clear to the Prime Minister that if he attempts to present such a plan to the Americans, "he will find, when he comes back, that he no longer has a government behind him."
"It was told to us quite clearly," Lieberman said: "Agree to the removal of some towns, and we'll pass a law against any further removals until the signing of a final agreement. This was the deal that was offered. There is no doubt that the Prime Minister or his office tried to pull a fast one on us [in trying to obtain our approval for his disengagement plan], but we didn't fall for it, and instead we were the first to announce the details of the plan - which is a continuation of the Oslo process."
Lieberman said that Sharon's aides met separately with several Yesha leaders, "and to none of us did they mention all the yishuvim [communities] that they plan to uproot. To me, for example, they didn't mention Ganim and Kadim." Some Yesha Council sources say that the plan might even involve the expulsion of Jews from other areas as well, such as the South Hevron Hills.
Asked if there were any circumstances under which the Yesha Council would agree to the removal of a Jewish community, Lieberman said, "No. Sometimes we explain our objections based on various external factors, such as quoting the Chief of Staff as saying that leaving Netzarim would require the deployment of a tremendous amount of soldiers - but these are just 'extras.' We say clearly wherever it must be said: There is no difference between a Jewish town in Judea and one in the Negev or the Galilee: They must not be touched."
The Prime Minister's Bureau was apparently taken off guard by yesterday's Yesha Council press conference in which it was announced that Sharon plans to dismantle and expel the residents of seven outlying Yesha communities. The seven are Kadim and Ganim in northern Shomron; Sa-Nur and Chomesh in central Shomron; and Morag, Kfar Darom and Netzarim in Gaza. The terrorists responded immediately to the news by firing two mortar shells at Netzarim; no one was hurt.
The Yesha Council leaders announced last night that Sharon's top aide Dov Weisglass had not only informed them, for the first time, of semi-official plans to destroy the seven towns - but also asked the Council leaders to agree to the plan. In exchange, the Council heads stated, Weisglass offered to have the Knesset pass a law banning further settlement destruction until the finalization of a permanent agreement with the PA.
The Yesha Council leaders said that they rejected the deal outright.
Following the revelation of his plans, the Prime Minister convened an urgent consultation with his aides and told them that the publicizing of his plan sabotages his intention to provide U.S. President George Bush a detailed plan next month for the stopping of Jewish settlement in Judea, Samaria and Gaza.
Sharon is known as one of the prime forces, over the past three decades, in the development of Jewish cities and towns in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. His break with the Yesha leaders, with whom he worked very closely for so long, was symbolized by the presence at the Yesha Council press conference of his good friend Ze'ev Chever, head of the Amanah settlement organization.
Sharon's consternation at the reports was evident, Yesha Council sources say, in the fact that he departed from his normal custom of maintaining media silence. In an infrequent appearance last night, he denied part of the Yesha Council leaders' accusations, saying that he would not agree to legislate a law that would "tie the hands of the government." He did not relate to the charges that he plans to destroy seven Jewish communities.
Yesha leaders met at the Knesset today with 15 Likud MKs, telling them of the proposals Weisglass put forth last night. Bentzy Lieberman, head of the Yesha Council of Jewish Communities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, told Arutz-7 this morning that the goal is to attempt to make it clear to the Prime Minister that if he attempts to present such a plan to the Americans, "he will find, when he comes back, that he no longer has a government behind him."
"It was told to us quite clearly," Lieberman said: "Agree to the removal of some towns, and we'll pass a law against any further removals until the signing of a final agreement. This was the deal that was offered. There is no doubt that the Prime Minister or his office tried to pull a fast one on us [in trying to obtain our approval for his disengagement plan], but we didn't fall for it, and instead we were the first to announce the details of the plan - which is a continuation of the Oslo process."
Lieberman said that Sharon's aides met separately with several Yesha leaders, "and to none of us did they mention all the yishuvim [communities] that they plan to uproot. To me, for example, they didn't mention Ganim and Kadim." Some Yesha Council sources say that the plan might even involve the expulsion of Jews from other areas as well, such as the South Hevron Hills.
Asked if there were any circumstances under which the Yesha Council would agree to the removal of a Jewish community, Lieberman said, "No. Sometimes we explain our objections based on various external factors, such as quoting the Chief of Staff as saying that leaving Netzarim would require the deployment of a tremendous amount of soldiers - but these are just 'extras.' We say clearly wherever it must be said: There is no difference between a Jewish town in Judea and one in the Negev or the Galilee: They must not be touched."