'At least 105 illegal outposts'

TEL AVIV - At least 105 illegal outposts are presently spread across the West Bank, former criminal department head at the Attorney General's Office Talya Sasson says.

As some information needed to compile the report remained unavailable, is impossible to establish whether more illegal outposts exist, Sasson said Wednesday at a press conference called to present the report's findings.

The 300-page report claims that for years Israeli governments

have covertly assisted settlers in erecting and maintaining illegal outposts in the territories.

According to the report, numerous government agencies were involved in the process, including the Defense Ministry, the IDF, and the Finance and Housing Ministries.

In the first personal steps to be taken since publication of the report, Housing Minister Isaac Herzog said he would immediately relinquish the authority of Sarah Aharon, director of the rural construction administration, until completion of the investigation.

'Without demolition orders there are no demolitions'

Sasson said the Housing Ministry permits the planning of illegal outposts even though there has been no government decision on the matter.

"Unfortunately, some outposts have even been constructed on Palestinian land," she said.

While these outposts have existed for years, defense ministers have not instructed to destroy them, she said.

"Without a demolition order there is no demolition," she said.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon received the report Tuesday and thanked Sasson for her comprehensive investigation. He said he would discuss her recommendations with the government on Sunday.

'They should not look for scapegoats'

Interior Minister Ophir Pines-Paz called on Attorney General Menachem Mazuz to launch a criminal police investigation to examine the illegal aspects of the activities of the government offices and employees mentioned in the report.

“The attorney general must do something that would make it clear Israel would not tolerate a situation whereby its employees break the law in an effort to thwart its decisions,” he said.

“They should not look for scapegoats such as the division for settlement,” he said. “The prime minister was aware of all the developments; he supported them (the settlers) the entire time.”

'Israel must remove all illegal outposts'

Israel must remove all illegal outposts and implement all committments agreed upon at the Sharm summit, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom during a meeting in the U.S. 

In response, Shalom said Israel had already removed more than 90 outposts and has pledged to meet its obligation to evacuate all the others.