Dismantling Of Outposts Is Illegal
"There's no such thing as an illegal outpost." So said Likud MK Naomi Blumental in a session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in January of this year - and grassroots activist Susie Dym is trying to bring this point home to all of the right-wing MKs and Cabinet ministers.
"Calling the outposts 'illegal' was the brainchild of the left-wing public relations experts," Dym writes, "whose goal it is to de-legitimize the entire right-wing camp. It is therefore important for all Cabinet and Knesset representatives to know the truth in order to be able to defend themselves - and the best media defense is always a good offense."
Dym, spokesperson for Mattot Arim (Cities of Israel), continues, "The truth is that the outposts are not 'illegal' - because in a country or area that is run by law, whatever is not 'illegal' is therefore legal. The residents don't have to prove that they are legal; those who object to the outposts must prove precisely which law is violated by the outpost... Why, if the outposts are illegal, was there a need for a special governmental decision against them?"
Dym also notes that the recent dismantling of several outposts stands in blatant opposition to a decision by the Cabinet itself. On May 23, 2003, the government resolved that it would not proceed to dismantle any outposts until Palestinian terrorism had completely stopped and only once the PA took concrete steps against the terrorist infrastructures. The decision was made in the framework of the Cabinet's approval of the Road Map, with the addition of 14 reservations. "This means that legally, the dismantling of outposts, as well as other components of the Road Map plan, can only be executed according to the stipulations set out by the Cabinet," Dym concludes.
"It is therefore vital," Dym writes, "that the right-wing ministers and MKs pressure the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister to dismantle outposts only if the terrorism and incitement cease. They must be pressured to put in writing any counter-claims and have these pass the test of legal and judicial investigation - which they have not done in the past."
Ministers' fax numbers and email addresses can be found at "www.israelnn.com/english/newspaper/ondisplay/ref/faxes.htm". The relevant Cabinet decision can be read at "www.knesset.gov.il/process/docs/roadmap_response_eng.htm".
Two major outposts are threatened with dismantling next week: Givat Assaf, with 14 families, located at a strategic junction along the Jerusalem-Shilo highway, and Givat HaRoeh, with 17 families, situated opposite Eli in the southern Shomron.
"There's no such thing as an illegal outpost." So said Likud MK Naomi Blumental in a session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee in January of this year - and grassroots activist Susie Dym is trying to bring this point home to all of the right-wing MKs and Cabinet ministers.
"Calling the outposts 'illegal' was the brainchild of the left-wing public relations experts," Dym writes, "whose goal it is to de-legitimize the entire right-wing camp. It is therefore important for all Cabinet and Knesset representatives to know the truth in order to be able to defend themselves - and the best media defense is always a good offense."
Dym, spokesperson for Mattot Arim (Cities of Israel), continues, "The truth is that the outposts are not 'illegal' - because in a country or area that is run by law, whatever is not 'illegal' is therefore legal. The residents don't have to prove that they are legal; those who object to the outposts must prove precisely which law is violated by the outpost... Why, if the outposts are illegal, was there a need for a special governmental decision against them?"
Dym also notes that the recent dismantling of several outposts stands in blatant opposition to a decision by the Cabinet itself. On May 23, 2003, the government resolved that it would not proceed to dismantle any outposts until Palestinian terrorism had completely stopped and only once the PA took concrete steps against the terrorist infrastructures. The decision was made in the framework of the Cabinet's approval of the Road Map, with the addition of 14 reservations. "This means that legally, the dismantling of outposts, as well as other components of the Road Map plan, can only be executed according to the stipulations set out by the Cabinet," Dym concludes.
"It is therefore vital," Dym writes, "that the right-wing ministers and MKs pressure the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister to dismantle outposts only if the terrorism and incitement cease. They must be pressured to put in writing any counter-claims and have these pass the test of legal and judicial investigation - which they have not done in the past."
Ministers' fax numbers and email addresses can be found at "www.israelnn.com/english/newspaper/ondisplay/ref/faxes.htm". The relevant Cabinet decision can be read at "www.knesset.gov.il/process/docs/roadmap_response_eng.htm".
Two major outposts are threatened with dismantling next week: Givat Assaf, with 14 families, located at a strategic junction along the Jerusalem-Shilo highway, and Givat HaRoeh, with 17 families, situated opposite Eli in the southern Shomron.