Anti-withdrawal on wheels

Settlers and rightists from around the country expected to drive together to Gaza in a show of solidarity and launch massive protest against pullout in what organizers promise will be one of largest demonstrations yet

By Efrat Weiss|Last update: 07.04.05 , 14:59

TEL AVIV – Thousands of drivers will make their way to the Gaza Strip next week to protest Israel’s pullout in a massive motorcade that is likely to tie up traffic nationwide and would markone of the biggest demonstrations against the withdrawal to date, settler leaders said on Monday.

The motorcade will be lead by rabbis and settler leaders. A final date for the protest in Gaza, which is expected to last for several hours, has not yet been set.

“The journey will begin somewhere in the country and continue to Gush Katif,” said settler leader Pinchas Wallerstein, referring to Gaza’s largest settlement bloc.

“We estimate tens of thousands of people will participate. If we are blocked by police or the army, we’ll order people to leave their cars and start marching, and we’ll call for more people to arrive,” he said.

Israel closed off the Gaza Strip last week and opened it a day later after evacuating a hotel frequented by ultranationalists who security officials said had used the building as a command center to plan violence to try and stymie the pullout.

Since then, the army has restricted the movement of equipment into Gaza and has barred some rightists, who they have accused of incitement, from entering the territory.

'Code of conduct'

Settlers will soon draw up a code of conduct that will dictate acceptable forms of resistance to Israel’s planned pullout from all 21 settlements in Gaza and four of 120 in the West Bank in August in the wake of recent violence by ultranationalists, who claiming the territories as their biblical birthright.

Palestinians want the land as part of a future state.

Several right-wing Knesset members, including former cabinet minister Effi Eitam, met with rabbis in Gaza settlements to draw up a draft for the document.

Israel has arrested several right-wing opponents of the plan, including minors, for allegedly stoning and wounding an unconscious Palestinian on Thursday when clashes broke out after settlers seized a building in a Palestinian town near a Gaza settlement.

Forces have in recent weeks detained dozens of rightists who blocked roads around the country to protest the plan. Several of them began a hunger strike in prison on Monday.