Settlers plan to rebuild Homesh
Evacuees from northern West Bank say they have public's support for return to Homesh, Sa-Nur settlements
Over half the adult Israeli population believes that the unilateral disengagement from Gaza and the northern West Bank was a mistake. Only 40 percent said the disengagement was a correct move on Israel's part.
Sixty-eight percent believe an additional withdrawal from the West Bank will lead to a rise in terrorism and 42 percent believe Israel should allow the evacuated settlers to return and resettle their demolished communities.
Representatives of the settlers evacuated from the northern West Bank in the summer of 2005 presented these figures and others at a press conference in Jerusalem on Monday. The survey was conducted by Rafi Smith of the Smith Institute, who polled 500 adult Israeli citizens on their post-disengagement views.
Evacuees from the settlements of Homesh and Sa-Nur commissioned the poll and after presenting its results said that now they are convinced they have the public's support and that they intend to return to northern Samaria. The representatives stated that they will return to their communities in a week's time, with Homesh being the first settlement to be inhabited.
Meanwhile, the army is deploying to prevent the settler's return.
Other figures analyzed by Smith indicate that 78 percent of responders do not anticipate any improvement in the level of terror activity following a second, future disengagement. Only 14 percent said they believed there would be less terror following a withdrawal.
"When the government came with the expulsion plan two years ago it justified it by saying it would dramatically improve the security situation in the country. Today, when all are aware of the terrible
consequences of the expulsion, the government should obviously rectify this mistake and rebuild the communities in northern Samaria which are under Israeli rule," said Yossi Dagan, a former resident of Sa-Nur and a spokesman for the settlers.
Evacuees and their supporters plan to march to Homesh next Monday and attempt to rebuild it. The military will increase its presence in the area and make efforts to prevent the settlers from reaching the area.
