Spokesperson Emily Amrusi acknowledged that not even the Yesha Council is entirely united on how to react to the rapidly-approaching expulsion date. Council members Sha'ul Goldstein of the Gush Etzion Regional Council and Hisdai Eliezer of Alfei Menashe feel that there should not be active opposition such as an attempt to bring masses of people to Gush Katif and northern Shomron to block roads and the like. However, the other members of the Yesha Council do not agree.
"There have always been different opinions on the Council," Amrusi told Arutz-7 today, "and this simply shows that we are human with a wide range of views. We all agree that the disengagement is bad and should be resisted."
Amrusi said that the Council as a whole is in favor of "winning this struggle with sheer numbers – an unprecedented civilian presence. We hope that we can overcome both logistical and ideological obstacles and bring 100,000 people, or more, to Gush Katif and environs on D-Day. This will force a public reaction, and to make the implementation of the transfer something unrealistic. We are not ashamed to say that this is our ultimate goal. This is what happened in Sebastia in 1975 [the site of the first Shomron community, near the present-day Kedumim, when 2,000 people showed up and prevented the army from removing the fledgling settlement], and in Kiev, and in Beirut, and there's no reason why it shouldn't work here as well."
"On Passover [the last week in April] and on Independence Day [May 12], we'll be bringing down a massive amount of people as a 'practice run' for D-Day, as a show of what we hope will happen on D-Day itself."
"When isD-Day?" Amrusi said, "We have been asked this often, and the answer is that the day on which everyone will be called to arms is the day on which Prime Minister Sharon announces that the areas are closed military zones. This is not an IDF decision, but rather Sharon's. That date is unknown at present, of course, but the day on which he declares a siege on Jewish communities and declares giant section of the Land of Israel as Jew-free, this is our sign that the struggle has begun in earnest – and we will not stand quietly by. We will want people to come down en-masse."
The Supreme Court recently banned the Yesha towns from using their funds to help pay for the political campaign against the disengagement plan. Asked how the campaign will be funded, Amrusi said, "It's true; we are in bad shape financially, and the Yesha Council faces large debts. Very simply put, without money, there can be no campaign. We are calling upon the public to contribute. We are working against government offices that have unlimited resources, and the public has to help us out."
The Yesha Council is headquartered at 16-B Ramat HaGolan St, Ramat Eshkol, Jerusalem.
"There have always been different opinions on the Council," Amrusi told Arutz-7 today, "and this simply shows that we are human with a wide range of views. We all agree that the disengagement is bad and should be resisted."
Amrusi said that the Council as a whole is in favor of "winning this struggle with sheer numbers – an unprecedented civilian presence. We hope that we can overcome both logistical and ideological obstacles and bring 100,000 people, or more, to Gush Katif and environs on D-Day. This will force a public reaction, and to make the implementation of the transfer something unrealistic. We are not ashamed to say that this is our ultimate goal. This is what happened in Sebastia in 1975 [the site of the first Shomron community, near the present-day Kedumim, when 2,000 people showed up and prevented the army from removing the fledgling settlement], and in Kiev, and in Beirut, and there's no reason why it shouldn't work here as well."
"On Passover [the last week in April] and on Independence Day [May 12], we'll be bringing down a massive amount of people as a 'practice run' for D-Day, as a show of what we hope will happen on D-Day itself."
"When isD-Day?" Amrusi said, "We have been asked this often, and the answer is that the day on which everyone will be called to arms is the day on which Prime Minister Sharon announces that the areas are closed military zones. This is not an IDF decision, but rather Sharon's. That date is unknown at present, of course, but the day on which he declares a siege on Jewish communities and declares giant section of the Land of Israel as Jew-free, this is our sign that the struggle has begun in earnest – and we will not stand quietly by. We will want people to come down en-masse."
The Supreme Court recently banned the Yesha towns from using their funds to help pay for the political campaign against the disengagement plan. Asked how the campaign will be funded, Amrusi said, "It's true; we are in bad shape financially, and the Yesha Council faces large debts. Very simply put, without money, there can be no campaign. We are calling upon the public to contribute. We are working against government offices that have unlimited resources, and the public has to help us out."
The Yesha Council is headquartered at 16-B Ramat HaGolan St, Ramat Eshkol, Jerusalem.