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Photo: Gil Yochanan
Settlers undeterred by police refusal
Photo: Gil Yochanan
Photo: Amichai Gross
Settlers plan to march to Gaza on Monday to protest pullout; police say it's illegal
Photo: Amichai Gross

Settlers: March to go ahead

Yesha Council vows to proceed with anti-pullout protest march to Gaza despite police refusal to approve it

TEL AVIV - The Yesha Council has vowed to go ahead with a protest march from the southern town of Netivot to Gush Katif despite police refusal to approve the protest.

 

Settler leaders and police representatives met to discuss the matter Sunday afternoon, but the session failed to resolve the deadlock, with police officials sticking to their refusal to permit the march.

 

“It was clear the police won’t assist,” a settler official said. “The police are unable to make a decision when it comes to a march to a place under a closure order imposed by the prime minister.”

 

Earlier Sunday, a police spokesman said forces will act to stop thousands of right-wingers who try to flock to a Gaza border crossing to protest Israel’s pullout plan, adding such a march is illegal and could spark clashes between settlers and forces.

 

“Up until now the Yesha (settler) council has not approached us about receiving a permit, and therefore we will prevent the protest from taking place,” said the police’s southern commander, Uri Bar-Lev. “We are negotiating with settler leaders.”

 

Settlers and rightists plan to march to hold a mass prayer session in the southern town of Netivot and then make their way to Gaza's Kissufim crossing.

 

Israel closed off the Gaza Strip last week to prevent ultranationalist Jews from flocking to fortify the territory ahead of Israel’s planned evacuation of all 21 settlements, scheduled to start in August.

 

Settler leader promises legal protest

 

Yesha Council head Bentzi Lieberman said the demonstration would be held legally.

 

“We don’t plan to disrupt traffic or break barriers or army checkpoints,” he said. “We are negotiating with the police all the time about the matter. But if the police don’t allow it, we plan to hold a popular protest. Scores of people want to tell the government that we will not stand for expulsion and uprooting.”

 

Police also fear protesters may engage in clashes with forces, as well as Palestinians, along the way.

 

Forces arrested 12 soldiers on Saturday who refused orders to disburse a crowd of some 400 protesters who sparked clashes with officers when they tried to infiltrate through the Kissufim border crossing on Saturday. Eight people were injured during the confrontations, including a soldier who suffered a broken leg.

 


פרסום ראשון: 07.17.05, 13:12
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