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Photo: Efrat Weiss

Mitzpe Avihai outpost evacuated again

Security forces destroy outpost near Kiryat Arba early Tuesday, but residents begin rebuilding it shortly afterwards. 'Police cannot station officers on every hill,' right-wing activist says

Cat and mouse game continues: The security forces early Tuesday destroyed the Mitzpe Avihai outpost near the Jewish settlement of Kiryat Araba. This was not the first time the West Bank outpost, also known as Hill 18, was evacuated.

 

Right-wing activists vowed to rebuild the outpost. "In the coming weeks we will even set up four new outposts in the Kiryat Arba and Hebron area," one of them said.

 

The security forces arrived at Mitzpe Avihai at around 3 am. Six youths were sleeping in the outpost at the rime. The forces destroyed a building set up in the area, and the evacuation was completed without any unusual incidents.

 

The youths said in response that they planned to rebuild the outpost "very soon".

 

One of the teenagers told Ynet, "Not only are we not breaking easily and plan to rebuild the outpost time after time, but (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and (Defense Minister Ehud) Barak's policy motivates us to rebuild the outpost every time.

 

"The police cannot station an officer on every hill, and therefore our policy is that the moment they destroy it for us, we return to the area and rebuild the hill."

 

The Mitzpe Avihai outpost was evacuated and rebuilt at the end of May.

 

Knesset Member Michael Ben Ari (National Union) said, "I plan to tour all the demolished outposts in the coming weeks, and strengthen and support the residents in their efforts to continue building.

 

"Netanyahu and Barak, in their statements, are destroying every good spot and conveying a message of weakness and surrender to the world, but I believe that this wonderful youth will give the tone. They are the incarnation of Zionism and they bring us a lot of respect and Jewish pride."

 

On Monday, one day after the prime minister's policy speech at Bar-Ilan University, right-wing activists announced that they were working on setting up dozens of new outposts across the West Bank in response to Netanyahu's remark that he had no plans to build or expand settlements.

 

"This is the proper Zionist response to Netanyahu's speech and to (US President Barack) Obama's speech. The goal is to build new outposts and expand the existing ones."

 


פרסום ראשון: 06.16.09, 09:52
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