Evacuation compensation? West Bank residents not rejecting it out of hand
Defense minister's declaration of intent to discuss an arrangement for voluntary evacuation from the West Bank has once again spurred a discussion on the issue in communities on the other sign of the green line.
The announcement yesterday by Defense Minister Ehud Barak that his party will soon propose an "evacuation compensation" law for settlers in the West Bank perhaps surprised many in the Knesset, but not in the territories themselves.
Many residents had already heard of the arrangement which will make it possible for them to move to the area within the green line in exchange for compensation. So far, the idea is a controversial one with both proponents and opponents among the settlers.
Benny Raz, resident of Karnei Shomron, is one of the members of the One House movement, which has spent the last two years promoting "evacuation compensation."
Raz has accepted, with open arms, the idea Barak proposed Sunday: "This is the correct decision and there is no other way. There are many people who are willing to evacuate. We do not want money, but to receive houses in exchange for (the ones we live in now)."
According to Raz, even before the Gaza disengagement, he reached the conclusion that the time was up for the settlements in the West Bank. The barrier fence, he admits, sealed the fate of the settlements.
"I came to Karnei Shomron after 25 years in Kibbutz Ashdot Yaacov out of quality-of-life concerns," he told Ynet. "It was a time of euphoria, but now we are behind the fence, our housing values have dropped, security is nonexistent and preying on us is easy. The time has come to put an end to this. I had my fill of wars and I want a better future for my children, to live in peace and tranquility."
Raz was a founding member of One House, along with MK Avshalom Vilnai, former New York Consul General Alon Pinkas, MK Colette Avital, Police Major General (Ret) Elik Ron, and former Deputy Defense Minister Dalia Rabin. The movement encourages residents of the territories to express readiness for an "evacuation compensation" proposal similar to that raised by Barak in the Sunday cabinet meeting. Raz claims that 80 thousand residents will go for the offer.
Raz protests the manner in which the government treats the settlers. "The state has forsaken us- exactly what happened to the residents of Gush Katif. The State of Israel helped us in arriving here, pushed us, supplied us with infrastructure, economy, and security- and then suddenly abdicated all responsibility for us. So I now say to the state, 'just as you got me up here, I expect you know how to get me down.'"
"I will do my country a grave injustice if I leave"
However, many West Bank residents refuse to even consider evacuating their homes voluntarily for financial compensation. Yael Goren of Karnei Shomron left Netanya with her family 13 years ago for what she called "an ideological mission".
"I will do my country, my family and myself a grave injustice if I leave (the settlement). As soon as I evacuate, the entire Sharon region (in central Israel) will be bombarded," she said. "We are defending the country."
Goren admitted that since the construction of the West Bank security fence, the residents'' situation took a turn for the worse.
"The value of the apartments has dropped significantly, our family does not come to visit as often and the place isn't the safest to live in," she said.
"But leaving is not the solution. There are other dangers that lurk in the city. Also, the experience of the Gush Katif (Gaza) evacuees has taught us – look at the condition they're in now - so what's the point?
"I don’t believe it will be possible to reach a peace agreement with our neighbors in the future, and they do not deserve to receive the land of our fathers," she said.
However, she did not rule out receiving compensation in the event that Barak's proposal is implemented.
"Because of my family, I may consider an alternative if one is offered to me," she said.
Army officials said two armed Palestinians were killed by IDF fire in north Gaza. The soldiers opened fire as the terrorists were getting ready to launch a mortar shell toward Israel.
No injuries were reported among the troops.
