Sharon orders relocation of Gaza settlements

ALL of them!

<snip>

The Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, told his dismayed Likud Party today that he plans to dismantle the Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip, his most direct commitment yet on unilateral steps if peace talks fail, participants in the meeting said.

Mr Sharon spoke to his fellow party members just hours after telling the Ha'aretz daily he had "given an order to plan for the evacuation" of the 17 Gaza settlements, which are home to about 7,500 Israelis. "I don't know if it will be done in one go, or gradually, but over the course of time, it will not be right to continue Jewish settlement in Gaza," a Likud official quoted him as telling the meeting.

Mr Sharon referred to the Jewish settlements in Gaza as "a security burden and a source of continuous friction," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

He had earlier told Ha'aretz that he envisaged a future where there would be "no Jews in Gaza", but warned that the extraction of so many communities could prove to be a long process.

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1137220,00.html

It makes impeccable sense to evacuate Gaza. It must be exceptionally difficult to support those outposts. The disruption they cause to the Palestinians is incalculable. Here, in one relatively clean and much more easily achieved move, he can send an immensely positive message: that he is ready to make real changes.

I pray this is serious and honest.

(I live in Ireland), but neither has links yet, so I posted from "The Guardian". There's lots of links on "Google News" now, if you want different perspectives.

I wonder if Arik is making this move because his premiership is essentially over?

out of how many established Israeli towns? These pin-pointed for removal must be the little trailer parks scattered here and there.

:eyes:


in preparation for a visit to the WH, so he can pretend to be following the "roadmap".

More crap

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=87249

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