'Government unprepared for pullout'
National Security Advisor says is not clear whether government prepared to carry out pullout plan
National Security Advisor Giora Eiland has painted a forlorn picture of the government's preparations for carrying out the Gaza disengagement plan, official Kol Yisrael radio reported Tuesday.
In a previously confidential letter sent to senior government officials, Eiland said it is not clear whether the government is prepared to carry out the pullout plan. He also warned that a lack of preparation may strengthen those who oppose the pullout and make it tough for the government to see the program through to fruition.
In addition, Eiland recommended the government take action to coerce settlers into cooperating with the state, and take measures against those who refuse to willingly evacuate their homes.
He also advised the government to hold an emergency session in order to discuss the current situation, and said, "a failure to tie up loose ends is likely to create chaos."
Lose-lose situation
Eiland told Ynet the government has been put into a "lose-lose" situation regarding permanent housing for evacuated settlers.
"The moment settlers chose not to cooperate, the government was left with a choice: Either it could build (homes for them) wherever it chooses," he said, "thus leaving 'white elephants' when the settlers refused to move into them. The other choice would be to continue negotiate until an agreement with the settlers could be found."
Reasonable choice
He said the settlers' refusal to cooperate has created a situation whereby the government must set a deadline for them to cooperate, or to have a one-sided government decision forced upon them.
"We must articulate clearly to the settlers that they have been presented with a reasonable choice," Eiland said. "Anyone who says, ‘Here I am, three months before being evacuated, and I have nowhere to go’ is making a choice. If we were to push off the disengagement two more months, they would say the same thing. Sometimes people wait until the last minute to make their choices, irrespective of ideology.”
He said chaos will result if the government fails to tie up loose ends.
"If we don't know how to say 'enough' and close certain issues from our end, successfully explaining what will happen, this scenario will occur," he said.
