Settlers want new 'Gaza state'
Group of settlers plan to declare establishment of 'Gaza Region Jewish Authority' Sunday; activist says new entity to have own government, parliament, and military
Itzhaky says he will serve as the provisional chairman of the new sovereign entity. According to the plan, the independent authority would feature its own government, parliament, and army.
"I turn to the government of Israel for assistance, so it provides us with 10,000 Kalashnikov rifles for self defense, one fifth of what it gave Arafat after the Oslo accords were signed," Itzhaky told Ynet Thursday evening.
"A significant number of public figures are with me and a large public stands behind me," he said. "I premise the establishment of the new sovereign authority on international law."
"It will be just like when the British Mandate left the Land of Israel in 1948. The area from which the sovereign Israeli government will leave –that is where a new authority will be established, with the temporary name: 'Gaza Region Jewish Authority,' Itzhaky said.
'10,000 rifles are enough'
“On Sunday, Tisha BeAv, we will announce the establishment of the new authority in a mass ceremony in Neve Dekalim. We will then set up an interim council, which will serve as the new authority’s government. Then we will elect a parliament following the general elections, scheduled to take place 21 days from now. Then it will also be decided whether I will lead our public.”
Itzhaky and his associates have already proven their organizational skills when they set up “tent cities” to house people residing illegally in Gush Katif. Now they are working to provide supplies for the residents, as the tent encampments are scheduled to be besieged as of Sunday at midnight in accordance with the new IDF order permitting only Gush Katif residents to enter the area.
Itzhaky told Ynet his group has rented a water well that “with the help of God will provide the needs of all Gush Katif residents even after this bad period is over.”
He said the group plans to turn to international organizations such as the U.N. and the
International Criminal Court in The Hague “so they would act against (Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon’s war crimes against his citizens.”
“I hope we will be able to receive from the Israeli government at least as much assistance as the country offered the Palestinian Authority in the aftermath of the Oslo agreements,” he said.
“(Yasser) Arafat received 50,000 rifles, I’ll make due with only 10,000 so we may maintain an army that will protect the citizens of the ‘Gaza Region Jewish Authority.’”
Gaza Beach Regional Council Head Avner Shimoni said in response to the initiative, “We should indeed prepare for elections - not here, but in Israel. These elections should take place as early as next week to stop the expulsion plan.”
