The Israeli Supreme Court is to hear a petition challenging the legality of the government’s proposal to forcibly evacuate 8,500 Jews from their homes. The communities slated to be dismantled are in Gush Katif, located along Israel’s southern Mediterranean coast, and four small towns in the northern Shomron, situated 30 miles northeast of Tel Aviv.
The National Religious Party (NRP) will argue before the court that the Knesset never authorized compensation to residents who are slated to be ousted and has not even voted on the proposed evacuation. NRP chairman Effie Eitam, sponsor of the petition, adds that the government also has not made a final decision regarding which communities are to be dismantled. The NRP hopes to convince the court that without Knesset approval, no funding whatsoever can be allocated.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon last Tuesday won cabinet approval for the plan to evacuate Jewish residents from the endangered communities and turn the lands over to Yassir Arafat. Last week's decision also gives a government agency responsibility for paying compensation to evacuated residents.
Yonatan Bassi, director of the Disengagement Agency, wants to start making compensation payments in about two weeks. However, the Knesset Finance Committee has not approved funding, which is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars. The committee only recently approved operational funds for the agency.
The recent cabinet decision also authorizes the government to close Gush Katif to all non-residents, thereby making it easier for security forces to remove the entire Jewish population from the region.
Sharon’s timetable is to bring a final draft of the disengagement bill to the ministers next Sunday and then bring it to the Knesset for a first reading on November 3rd.
The National Religious Party (NRP) will argue before the court that the Knesset never authorized compensation to residents who are slated to be ousted and has not even voted on the proposed evacuation. NRP chairman Effie Eitam, sponsor of the petition, adds that the government also has not made a final decision regarding which communities are to be dismantled. The NRP hopes to convince the court that without Knesset approval, no funding whatsoever can be allocated.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon last Tuesday won cabinet approval for the plan to evacuate Jewish residents from the endangered communities and turn the lands over to Yassir Arafat. Last week's decision also gives a government agency responsibility for paying compensation to evacuated residents.
Yonatan Bassi, director of the Disengagement Agency, wants to start making compensation payments in about two weeks. However, the Knesset Finance Committee has not approved funding, which is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars. The committee only recently approved operational funds for the agency.
The recent cabinet decision also authorizes the government to close Gush Katif to all non-residents, thereby making it easier for security forces to remove the entire Jewish population from the region.
Sharon’s timetable is to bring a final draft of the disengagement bill to the ministers next Sunday and then bring it to the Knesset for a first reading on November 3rd.