Knesset members pounced on Monday’s suicide bombing in attack in Tel Aviv as they bitterly debated the Disengagement/Expulsion bill.
Aryeh Eldad (National Union) declared, “At the same time Arabs execute a mass murder in the Carmel market, Minister Meir Sheetrit (Likud) is giving the Knesset details on the expulsion bill. No country ever has passed a law that encourages terror as this law will do.”
Several MKs, including Ehud Yatom (Likud), stated that continued terrorism is an expression of Yasser Arafat’s policy. “The more that the disengagement plan advances, the terrorist attacks will be more severe,” he said.
Others argued that disengagement would reduce terrorism. “The objective of the monstrous murderers of innocent people is to derail disengagement,” said MK Ron Cohen (Meretz).
The debate centered on the bill itself until news of the attack reached the Knesset. The 89-page long bill includes 138 clauses, such as:
--the amount of money each family will receive for moving-van costs;
--the amount of time the uprooted residents are liable to spend in prison for congregating in groups of three during the evacuation (three years if unarmed, and five if they are armed with a gun or knife at the time);
--granting the government possession of all property that remains in the area after the specified date of evacuation; and
--formulas for calculating the value and potential value of businesses.
MK Benny Elon of the National Union verbally attacked Prime Minister Sharon, whom he called head of a minority government. “You are now supposed to deal with today's attack in the Carmel Market, but [your efforts] will be a waste of time...because our enemies understand the language of retreat.”
Addressing the Prime Minister, Elon said, “Concentrate together all the Jews in Tel Aviv, build a wall around it and around the Carmel Market and stop wasting money as you did until now on settlements and sending people to the hilltops, until you suddenly changed your philosophy and became the leader of the left...”
Israel Radio legal commentator Moshe Negbi has said he expects that if the law is passed, it will be challenged in the Supreme Court. "It appears to clash with and contradict the basic right of a citizen to own his property," he said. He also said that the restriction of the residents' appeal rights is likely not to stand up to High Court review.
Though the bill is popularly known as the Compensation/Evacuation Law, the media and some Israeli politicians are emphasizing the "compensation" aspects of the law, while basically ignoring the "evacuation" aspects. Knesset Speaker Ruby Rivlin interrupted Minister Sheetrit, reminding him he was emphasizing the compensation aspects and not those detailing with the forcible evacuation.
Arab MK Ahmed Tibi opposes the law, claiming, "It's the settlers who should compensate the Arabs, and not be compensated themselves."
Sheetrit said it will be possible for an entire community to move, in its entirety, to a new area in the Negev or the Galilee. "I think that this would be a very good option," Sheetrit said, "as it will help build the Negev, and will also enable the residents to maintain their communal life."
Aryeh Eldad (National Union) declared, “At the same time Arabs execute a mass murder in the Carmel market, Minister Meir Sheetrit (Likud) is giving the Knesset details on the expulsion bill. No country ever has passed a law that encourages terror as this law will do.”
Several MKs, including Ehud Yatom (Likud), stated that continued terrorism is an expression of Yasser Arafat’s policy. “The more that the disengagement plan advances, the terrorist attacks will be more severe,” he said.
Others argued that disengagement would reduce terrorism. “The objective of the monstrous murderers of innocent people is to derail disengagement,” said MK Ron Cohen (Meretz).
The debate centered on the bill itself until news of the attack reached the Knesset. The 89-page long bill includes 138 clauses, such as:
--the amount of money each family will receive for moving-van costs;
--the amount of time the uprooted residents are liable to spend in prison for congregating in groups of three during the evacuation (three years if unarmed, and five if they are armed with a gun or knife at the time);
--granting the government possession of all property that remains in the area after the specified date of evacuation; and
--formulas for calculating the value and potential value of businesses.
MK Benny Elon of the National Union verbally attacked Prime Minister Sharon, whom he called head of a minority government. “You are now supposed to deal with today's attack in the Carmel Market, but [your efforts] will be a waste of time...because our enemies understand the language of retreat.”
Addressing the Prime Minister, Elon said, “Concentrate together all the Jews in Tel Aviv, build a wall around it and around the Carmel Market and stop wasting money as you did until now on settlements and sending people to the hilltops, until you suddenly changed your philosophy and became the leader of the left...”
Israel Radio legal commentator Moshe Negbi has said he expects that if the law is passed, it will be challenged in the Supreme Court. "It appears to clash with and contradict the basic right of a citizen to own his property," he said. He also said that the restriction of the residents' appeal rights is likely not to stand up to High Court review.
Though the bill is popularly known as the Compensation/Evacuation Law, the media and some Israeli politicians are emphasizing the "compensation" aspects of the law, while basically ignoring the "evacuation" aspects. Knesset Speaker Ruby Rivlin interrupted Minister Sheetrit, reminding him he was emphasizing the compensation aspects and not those detailing with the forcible evacuation.
Arab MK Ahmed Tibi opposes the law, claiming, "It's the settlers who should compensate the Arabs, and not be compensated themselves."
Sheetrit said it will be possible for an entire community to move, in its entirety, to a new area in the Negev or the Galilee. "I think that this would be a very good option," Sheetrit said, "as it will help build the Negev, and will also enable the residents to maintain their communal life."