Avec Sharon et ses colons, tout s'arrange

Settlers: new settlement has been formed in heart of West Bank
By The Associated Press
A new settlement with 14 homes has been established in the heart of the West Bank, settler leaders said Wednesday, at the start of a day of festivities to be attended by Israeli legislators.

Successive Israeli governments, including that of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, have said they would expand settlements to accommodate natural population growth, but not establish new ones on land claimed by the Palestinians for a future state.

The Defense Ministry, which is responsible for settlement activity, initially said it was unaware of a new settlement. Later, the ministry said the Rehalim outpost was defined as an educational institute four years ago and that in this framework construction was permitted. "Rehalim was never defined a settlement and there is no intention to approve it as such," the statement said.

However, Nati Yisraeli, a spokesman for the Rehalim settlers, brushed off the ministry statement as "the official excuse."

"In reality, families live here," Yisraeli said.
He said 14 permanent homes with small backyards and red-tile roofs have been built in Rehalim, near the Palestinian city of Nablus. Families moved into eight homes in recent days, and the remainder will move in soon. In all, 24 families, or nearly 100 people, live in Rehalim, which also has some mobile homes.
Rehalim was first established as an outpost in 1991, to mark the spot where Palestinian gunmen killed two Israelis. "This is now a permanent settlement, with the government's approval and a nice road," said Benny Elon, a far-right legislator.
Construction of permanent homes began under former hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and continued under the more moderate leadership of Ehud Barak, Yisraeli said. Earlier governments refused to allow construction in Rehalim and settlers lived in tents and caravans, he added.

"This is very symbolic at a time like this, when people are talking about dismantling settlements, and illegal and legal outposts," Yisraeli said, referring to a Defense Ministry plan to dismantle several outposts it says were illegally established.

"Maybe Rehalim is a symbol that it is possible to form new settlements because it was the first outpost," Yisraeli added. Several legislators, including Elon, were to attend festivities later Wednesday, he said.

Palestinians charge that Israeli settlements are illegal encroachment on land they want for a state. More than 200,000 Jewish settlers live in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in communities that prevent continuity between towns and villages that are home to more than 3 million Palestinians.

Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat condemned the establishment of Rehalim, saying the Palestinian Authority would protest the act in letters to the United States and Europe, which have called on Israel to halt settlement activity.

"This is just adding fuel to the fire...settlements to the Palestinians is a grand threat to their existence and to their aspirations," Erekat said. "This is an act that we condemn and we hold the Israelis fully responsible for the consequences."

The Defense Ministry dismantled 11 illegal outposts on June 30 as part of what it says is a larger plan to get rid of dozens of small caravan communities - some populated and some vacant - that have popped up in the West Bank.

Jewish settlers have said they will not dismantle the unauthorized outposts.
"We will fight for every outpost that they want to take down. We will not compromise or concede on any outpost," Elon said. "We can talk about dismantling refugee camps and transferring Arabs, but the Jews are here to stay."

Yisraeli said Rehalim has hopes of expanding further and there are already plans to build another neighborhood. Recently, settlers from Rehalim settled another area nearby, placing four caravans on an adjacent hilltop.

"God willing, Rehalim will stretch from Ariel to Eli," Yisraeli said, referring to the two Jewish settlements closest to Rehalim.

arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)