"The defense minister's position is that there is no compromise when it comes to upholding the law, and the illegal outposts will eventually be removed," a source close to Ehud Barak said
Monday in response to the cabinet ministers' visit to the site evacuated West Bank outpost of Homesh earlier in the day.
Interior Minister Eli Yishai, Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe Ya'alon, Minister of Information Yuli Edelstein and Science and Technology Minister Daniel Hershkowitz toured a number of illegal West Bank outposts, at the invitation of the Shomron Regional Council.
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| Yishai says outposts not illegal / Efrat Weiss |
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Several government ministers embark on rare tour of West Bank outposts at invitation of Shomron Regional Council. 'These are legal settlements built by the governments of Israel,' interior minister says during visit. Ministers Ya'alon, Edelstein: We should consider returning to Homesh |
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This was the first ministerial visit of its kind to the area since the 2005 disengagement.
During the tour Minister Yishai said, "These are legal settlements built by the governments of Israel,"
while Ayalon added, 'We must seriously consider returning to Homesh."
The visit was staunchly criticized by members of the Opposition. "The August heat is apparently affecting the rightist ministers," Meretz Chairman
Chaim Oron said, "Their statements are indicative of a dangerous slip into delusion, myth and illusion. These ministers have apparently set their sights on exacerbating the confrontation with the entire world. The conclusion is that the government of Israel is not willing to conduct any negotiations for peace or take any steps in that direction."
Ministers in Homesh (Photo: Dudi Vaaknin)
MK Ahmad Tibi (United Arab List-Ta'al)
said the ministers' tour "proves that (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu's policy speech at
Bar-Ilan University was a sham. The ministers' comments reflect the (government's) true policy.
"The American administration must pay attention to these fanatic voices and act accordingly, without hesitation, to silence the pyromaniacs within the Israeli government," he said.
MK Eitan Cabel of Barak's Labor Party
said, "It is clear, now more than ever, that this is a rightist, extremist and delusional government."
The Kadima Party
joined the wave of criticism, saying Israel may pay the price for Netanyahu's attempt to "fool" the international community.
"The PM's winking policy is dangerous to Israel and may hurt its interests, including maintaining sovereignty over the settlement blocs," Tzipi Livni's party
said in a statement.
"The Israeli public is entitled to an answer as to which Netanyahu it should believe, the one who speaks of the 'two-states for two peoples' paradigm or the one who sends his top ministers to partake in activities that will thwart any possible solution."
Defense Minister Barak has said on numerous occasions that Israel will have to make certain concessions, and he is currently formulating a plan according to which Israel will freeze settlement construction for three to six months with the aim of reigniting the regional peace process with the US' help.
Labor and the right-wing factions have so far refrained from engaging in a public dispute over the settlement policy for fear it may destabilize the coalition.
Efrat Weiss, Amnon Meranda and Sharon Roffe-Ophir contributed to the report
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