Barak returns early from Paris due to settlement problem
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 11/9/1999

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak decided to cut short his visit to Paris and return to Israel in light of the situation in the Jewish settlement outpost of Ma'on near Hebron. Israeli sources said the army was preparing for the evacuation of the outpost no later than Thursday, but military sources said the evacuation might even take place on the night between Tuesday and Wednesday.

Meanwhile, deputy defense minister Ephraim Sneh met with leaders of the Jewish settlers and furnished them with maps of the upcoming stage of Israeli army pullout in the West Bank. The settlers, after the meeting, said there was no point in checking the maps because they were totally opposed to handing over territories to the Palestinian government.

Israeli sources said that both sides discussed the situation in Ma'on and that heads of the settlement movement in the West Bank admitted they could not influence the hard-line settlers who have decided to remain in the settlement and to resist their evacuation. The settlers were joined lately by hundreds of sympathizers who also opposed any pullout of settlers from any outpost in the West Bank.

The Israeli army, sources said, had received orders to act, and the timing was to be decided by the political echelon. That is why Barak decided to cut short his trip to France, the sources said. They added that the potential repercussions of the evacuation have convinced Barak to return in order to handle whatever crisis breaks up with the settlers.

The date of evacuation was originally scheduled for Monday night, but was postponed. Military sources said that the troops that are slated to take part in the evacuation have already been briefed and given orders not to be drawn in by provocative acts which are liable to result in situations in which excessive force is used.

The settlers in Ma'on said they have recently noticed a military helicopter hovering over the outpost, apparently as part of the preparations for evacuation. The settlers continued their preparations in anticipation of a showdown with the army. They littered access routes to the outpost with boulders and tires, in order to block these routes before the soldiers. The residents declared that they would tie themselves up in chains and burn tires in the event that security forces enter the outpost.

Settlers in Ma'on said they had a feeling that the General Security Services (GSS) had planted an undercover agent in their midst to engage in provocation and to convey information to the public to undermine the settlers' resistance activities.

A settler spokesman claimed that the settlers were not heading for an open confrontation with the army and that they decided to opt for civil disobedience methods.

Previous Stories:
  Crisis between the settlers and Barak   (11/6/1999)
  Arafat resumes criticism of Israeli policy   (11/4/1999)
  Arafat welcomes convening a summit similar to Camp David   (11/4/1999)

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