Here come the true settlers

Last update - 08:33 15/01/2006
Here come the true settlers
By Zvi Bar'el

What is supposed to take place today in Hebron and later in the week in Amona can be defined as "Operation Half of their Lust." This definition is apt because nothing will happen in Hebron today, despite the fact that the order to evacuate the Jewish invaders from the wholesale market goes into effect. This is because the Israel Defense Forces wanted first to evacuate Amona and then Hebron - and two riots in one week are too much. But also in Amona, the illegal settlement attached to Ofra, nothing will happen. As usual. This time because the High Court of Justice agreed to hear what the chronic lawbreakers have to say.

So, neither Hebron nor Amona. But this did not prevent Pinhas Wallerstein's settlers from promising that the "shameful scene" that took place several months ago in Gush Katif would not be repeated. Because here is where "the heroes of Israel" live joyfully - lawbreakers and invaders. In particular, here are many people whose pride has been injured, who need to exact revenge for their humiliation, to again raise the banner of rebellion, and especially to settle accounts with the prime minister who lies in the hospital in clinical muteness.

These are not sites that are vital from a national perspective, far from it. It is also not a contest of strength between law-abiding people and lawbreakers. After all, for years law-abiding people have been among the biggest contributors to the violation of law. In Hebron, where the settlers took over the market about four years ago, the army and police did not hurry to pull the invaders out. Those responsible for law enforcement waited for the Hebron municipality to petition the High Court and for the court to rule before they would awaken from their slumber and deliver a commitment to evacuate the vegetable market. These same law enforcement officials unilaterally informed the Hebron municipality last week that, together with the evacuation of the settlers, the protected leasing agreement between the IDF and the municipality, which has been in effect for decades, would be canceled. This agreement formed the legal basis by which the municipality leased the stores in the market to Arab merchants. And, therefore, if the market will not be for Jews, then the Arabs will also not be able to use it.

In Amona, which has existed for 11 years, the IDF has also not been in a hurry to maintain law and order. This wild outpost, built on land belonging to Palestinians, will continue to exist because the decision is to demolish only the nine empty permanent homes; the families living in trailer homes will not be evacuated. They will continue to live there in defiance of the law. Thus, the issue here is not respect for the law, but rather a lesson in the anatomy of vertebrates - that is, who will be the one to show some backbone. "It is not Gush Katif here," declared Pinhas Wallerstein last week. This statement by the defeated commander of the disengagement should explain everything. Here, there are no weaklings who will collapse into the arms of the men and women of the IDF. These are not naive citizens who revere the army or the foreign government that dispatched them. Here is "Yesh" and no additional letter will fall from it after the wimps of Gush Katif lost the "ayin" of Yesha. There is a limit to how much the government of the settlers can bow its head before the government of Israel.