Vice Premier Haim Ramon welcomed French President Nicolas Sarkozy's unexpected support of the evacuation-compensation bill on Monday.
"I was happy to learn that the idea of voluntary evacuation was supported by the intended president of the European Union," said Ramon. "It is time the government gave it some serious discussion."
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According to Ramon, "Many of those living beyond the (security) fence are willing to leave voluntary. The fence has created a reality, which in the future would mean that Israel will
no longer exercise its sovereignty on its east side. The Israeli government is morally bound to enable anyone living east of the fence and wanting to evacuate to do so."
Sarkozy spoke before the Knesset earlier Monday and said that "peace will not be made possible without the halting of all settlement construction. There is a bill, supported by many Knesset Members, which encourages the West Bank settllers to leave and return to Israel. We have to create that motion."
MK Avshalom Vilan (Meretz-Yahad) told Ynet Sarkozy's notions were brave: "France will soon be made president of the EU and this goes to show that the idea is widely supported in Europe. We will be presenting the bill to the Union's parliament in Brussels next week."
National Religious Party Chairman MK Zevulun Orlev criticized the French president's remark, suggesting that "Sarkozy should extend his visit to Israel in order to learn history. History teaches us that Jerusalem never belonged to Islam, but is for the Jewish people and the Jewish people alone. (Sarkozy) should visit Sderot and Gush Katif evacuees before he supports evacuation-compensation and the return to the 1967 borders."
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