Leftist MK demands Amona inquiry

Labor party's Yuli Tamir: inconceivable that hundreds hurt in Amona while virtually no one was hurt in Gaza pullout

Attila Somfalvi|Published: 02.02.06 , 10:50

Labor MK Yuli Tamir on Thursday added her voice to calls by Knesset members that a committee be set up to investigate the violent clashes during the evacuation of the Amona outpost on Wednesday.

Tamir said the committee should investigate the circumstances that led to the injury of over 200 settlers and security forces.

The Labor MK said: “Yesterday’s events and their difficult consequences prove Ehud Olmert’s incapability and helplessness in filling the prime minister’s post. It is inconceivable that in the evacuation of Gush Katif no one got injured and the evacuation of an outpost of nine structures leaves hundreds injured.”

Tamir said the committee also needs to investigate whether the government issued contradicting messages that led to the operation's “failure."

The National Religious Party also called for the establishment of an independent committee to investigate the behavior of the security forces during Wednesday’s evacuation.

Sar Shalom Jerbi, the party’s Secretary-General who was in Amona, accused the police of provoking settler youths and using excessive violence.

'Police pogrom'

Over 219 people were injured in Wednesday’s clashes, with 15 remaining in hospitals across the country. A 16-year-old was reported to be in moderate condition after showing improvement since Wednesday. The rest are recovering from light injuries in Jerusalem’s Hadassah Ein Kerem, Hadassah Mount Scopus, Shaare Zedek and Bikur Cholim, and in the Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv.

MK Effie Eitam, who sustained head injuries during the clashes, harshly blasted Acting PM Olmert, saying “you are far from being the successor of (Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon.”

“You have proven today that you are frightened, confused and manipulative. You have acted with stupidity and narrow-mindedness. This is not the way to build premiership,” he charged.

"We would have known how to control this incident like in Gush Katif, but the police officers were ordered to act with violence against the children and public leaders. This is a pogrom against young people," Eitam charged.