Defence minister promises no Gaza pull-out delay
Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz said today that Israel would not delay its planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip beyond its new mid-August start date, disputing settler hopes that the pull-out can be indefinitely postponed.
The pull-out had originally been scheduled to begin July 20, but the government put it off for three weeks, ostensibly so it would not coincide with a Jewish mourning period. Many in Israel believe the withdrawal was delayed because government preparations are far behind schedule and few of the 9,000 settlers to be evacuated have begun even rudimentary preparations for the move.
Many of the settlers saw the delay as a victory, and hoped it was a sign that the government’s resolve to carry through with the plan was crumbling.
Asked if further delays were possible, Mofaz told Israel TV: “There won’t be another postponement.”
Earlier today, Mofaz told Israel Radio he strongly opposes demolishing the settlers’ homes after the pull-out, warning it would prolong the withdrawal and put soldiers at risk.
Government ministers have been debating for months whether to leave the estimated 1,600 private homes in the 21 Gaza settlements intact after the withdrawal. Opponents say they want to spare settlers the sight of jubilant Palestinians taking over their homes.
The Defence Ministry has estimated it could cost €35m to destroy the houses and remove the rubble. The process could take three months, Mofaz said, adding several months to the pull-out, which is to take only one month.
“The defence establishment has concluded that it is not right to demolish the settlers’ homes,” Mofaz said, adding that such an operation would require soldiers to remain in hostile territory to raze the buildings.
“I am not willing, as Israel’s defence minister, to endanger soldiers to demolish settlers’ houses,” he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon proposed the pull-out plan last year, saying that withdrawing from Gaza and four northern West Bank settlements would help strengthen its hold over larger West Bank settlement blocs.
Opponents, many in his hardline Likud Party, said the withdrawal would encourage Palestinian militants to continue and even increase attacks.
But Mofaz said he believed Israel’s security would improve – slowly – after the pull-out.
“I think our security situation the day after the evacuation will improve over time,” he said. “I also hope the number of civilian and military casualties will diminish to a minimum. This has to be looked at as a process, and not as a point in time immediately after the evacuation.”
With the pull-out set to begin in mid-August, Gaza settlers have stepped up their protest campaign.
The settlers plan another in a series of demonstrations tomorrow – Israel’s Independence Day.
Settler spokeswoman Emily Amrusy said more than 20,000 people were expected to visit the Gaza settlements, and a new, three-floor synagogue seating 300 worshippersis to be inaugurated at the Kfar Darom settlement.
Meanwhile, Israeli military officials said today that in light of several recent incidents in which Jewish settlers in the West Bank city of Hebron scuffled with Israeli troops, the army is considering changing the way it protects the settlers. The Maariv newspaper said one of the plans under consideration involved replacing the soldiers with private security guards.
Hebron is home to 162,000 Palestinians and about 90 Jewish families, who live in heavily fortified enclaves protected by the soldiers. Soldiers have repeatedly confronted the settlers over their attempts to destroy Palestinian property and seize Palestinian homes.
