Religious Zionism party chairman Effie Eitam
announced Saturday his intention to move with his family to Gush Katif, despite an IDF order banning Israelis from moving to Gaza Strip settlements slated for evacuation.
However, since Eitam is a Knesset member allowing him immunity, it is possible that disobeying the order would not harm him or his family.
The Eitam family presently lives in an agricultural community in the Golan Heights.
Over the coming week they plan to tour the Gush Katif settlements to choose an appropriate community to relocate to over the Pesach holiday and register their children in school.
“Due to the limited movement of new settlers into the settlements, loving supporters of Jewish settling must move to Gush Katif,” he said, “and protect the pioneering settlements with their bodies and their families' bodies and fight against the law evicting them from their homes and their land.”
Wants it to be a test case
Sources close to Eitam said he is choosing to ignore the IDF order announced Friday banning new families from moving to Gaza Strip settlements scheduled for evacuation.
They said he is using this as a test to see whether the police will evict him from his home should he settle in one of the Gush Katif communities.
In response, Constitution Committee Chairman Michael Eitan said that while Eitam has immunity as a Knesset member, his family does not.
He also said the government has lawful means to prevent the move.
Gaza Strip no longer an option
The decree comes in the framework of steps that are meant to facilitate the government’s pullout decision.
According to the order, effective immediately, Israelis can no longer make Gaza Strip their home.
Accordingly, Israelis who attempt to change their residential address at the Interior Ministry would not be permitted to do so, while the police prepare to block any attempts to move to the Gush Katif settlement bloc.
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