Settler youth may inhabit periphery
A new initiative proposed by settler youth who acted against pullout, calls to populate five new communities in Negev, Galilee. Meanwhile, teens prefer to continue with settling illegal West Bank outposts
A new initiative by settler youth to inhabit five communities in the northern Galilee and southern Negev regions has been relayed to former Labor Chairman Shimon Peres' office for evaluation.
About two weeks ago, 70 members of the "Youth for Israel" movement convened in the West Bank settlement of Efrat to discuss their future activities.
The teens, most of them members of established settlements, have all been involved in actions against the disengagement last summer, including infiltrations to the Gush Katif region during the pullout.
The members debated the future of some 2,500 teens, whose last project was the erection of a series of illegal outposts across the West Bank in October.During the discussion, evacuated Gush Katif settler and founder of "The Jewish Gaza Region State" Arieh Yitzhaki presented before the attendees a proposal for a new project - to populate five communities and kibbutzim in the Galilee and Negev.
Yitzhaki, who heads the Eretz Israel Devotees movement, has sent the same proposal to Peres' office, in which he suggests the youth settle the Kerem Shalom, Shomria and Har Amasa communities in the Negev, and the communities of Ravid and Tzivon in the Galilee.
However, the settler teens requested to freeze the initiative at this point and launch another operation to construct illegal outposts in Judea and Samaria.
During the operation, which will be called "lighting up," the teens plan to set out for 100 locations in the West Bank and light candles on hilltops. They later intend on erecting between 15 -20 new illegal outposts in the region.
Hilltop youth rejects proposal
The youth movement members have not rejected the idea of populating the five communities, but at this stage prefer to concentrate their efforts in Judea and Samaria, Yitzhaki told Ynet Sunday.
"In any case, I have yet to receive an answer from Peres' office, and I intend to approach them again soon," he added.
Sources at the Office for the Development of the Negev and Galilee said in response that this was a positive initiative which may materialize, adding that initially the project will include only two communities in the Galilee.
"The idea is in its preliminary stage at the moment, and we hope to develop it quickly. This is a blessed program that will channel the settler youth to realizing the Zionist vision in the Negev and Galilee," one source at the office said.
However, members of the hilltop youth said the movement did not represent their views.
"This movement is not related to us, we plan to stay in Judea and Samaria. Cooperation with Oslo-criminal Peres is not on the agenda," one activist said.
