Thousands of people from both sides of the Green Line are expected each day beginning tomorrow, when a giant ten-day sit-in outside the Knesset is to begin. The communities of Judea, Samaria and Gaza (Yesha) have divided up the days, with each region taking two days. Volunteers from cities in pre-'67 Israel will supplement them according to an arranged schedule. In addition, or possibly chiefly, organizers are hoping that supporters will come in their thousands without advance notice.
Residents of Beit El have been assigned to take Friday and Sabbath as their days of residency in the tent-city that will be built around the Knesset. Large tents, cold and hot water, restroom facilities and other services will be provided. Meals will be sold at subsidized prices, and family-sized tents will be available for renting. Yesha Council leaders say that Beit El proved itself when its residents, both from the town's yeshiva and general population, led the successful campaign to win the Likud referendum against the disengagement several months ago.
MK Benny Elon (National Union), a leading opponent of the disengagement plan, told a "town meeting" in his hometown of Beit El last week that the issue is essentially now in the hands of the public. "We, as parliamentarians, have done very tedious work, and it's important – trying to remove some of the more dangerous parts of the evacuation law, trying to get United Torah Judaism to stay out of the coalition, etc. But now it comes down to you. If there are 100 or 200,000 people who will sit down and protest for day after day in front of the Knesset, the government will not be able to deal with this. They don't have an answer for civil disobedience on this scale. They also don't have a solution for how to arrest children, because the law states that children may not be arrested together with adults who are not their parents..."
"It must be made 100% clear," Elon said. "Sharon has no plans to stop with this disengagement. Gush Katif and northern Shomron are not the end. He won't stop until he gets to the partition fence. Even the settlement blocs, on behalf of which he is supposedly doing this whole thing, are not safe."
Vice Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said openly last week that further withdrawals will be necessary. "Israel cannot afford to sit and do nothing," he said. The Prime Minister's Bureau hotly denied any plans to perpetrate additional pullbacks.
MK Tzvi Hendel (National Union), who appeared at the same event, said, "The Likud MKs who oppose this plan are well-meaning, but they can't do it alone. They need to know that they have public support. We have to wake up and show them they're not alone."
In the meantime, more than 5,000 Israelis are signed on petitions saying they will refuse to serve in the reserves if called up to help out in the disengagement process. Last night, a public protest was held in Kiryat Arba against the transfer/expulsion program.
Residents of Beit El have been assigned to take Friday and Sabbath as their days of residency in the tent-city that will be built around the Knesset. Large tents, cold and hot water, restroom facilities and other services will be provided. Meals will be sold at subsidized prices, and family-sized tents will be available for renting. Yesha Council leaders say that Beit El proved itself when its residents, both from the town's yeshiva and general population, led the successful campaign to win the Likud referendum against the disengagement several months ago.
MK Benny Elon (National Union), a leading opponent of the disengagement plan, told a "town meeting" in his hometown of Beit El last week that the issue is essentially now in the hands of the public. "We, as parliamentarians, have done very tedious work, and it's important – trying to remove some of the more dangerous parts of the evacuation law, trying to get United Torah Judaism to stay out of the coalition, etc. But now it comes down to you. If there are 100 or 200,000 people who will sit down and protest for day after day in front of the Knesset, the government will not be able to deal with this. They don't have an answer for civil disobedience on this scale. They also don't have a solution for how to arrest children, because the law states that children may not be arrested together with adults who are not their parents..."
"It must be made 100% clear," Elon said. "Sharon has no plans to stop with this disengagement. Gush Katif and northern Shomron are not the end. He won't stop until he gets to the partition fence. Even the settlement blocs, on behalf of which he is supposedly doing this whole thing, are not safe."
Vice Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said openly last week that further withdrawals will be necessary. "Israel cannot afford to sit and do nothing," he said. The Prime Minister's Bureau hotly denied any plans to perpetrate additional pullbacks.
MK Tzvi Hendel (National Union), who appeared at the same event, said, "The Likud MKs who oppose this plan are well-meaning, but they can't do it alone. They need to know that they have public support. We have to wake up and show them they're not alone."
In the meantime, more than 5,000 Israelis are signed on petitions saying they will refuse to serve in the reserves if called up to help out in the disengagement process. Last night, a public protest was held in Kiryat Arba against the transfer/expulsion program.