Wallerstein. Formulating opinions
Photo: Gil Yohanan
Barak. To set timetable
Photo: Gil Yohanan
Barak won't rush to evacuate outposts, settlers say
Yesha Council heads tour outposts slated to be evacuated, estimate move will be delayed. Meanwhile, settlers plan to launch campaign slamming Prime Minister Olmert's policy. 'When one faces personal investigations, it is worthwhile making concessions,' Council chairman says
Defense Minister Ehud Barak
will not rush to evacuate outposts, Yesha Council heads estimated Tuesday.
On Tuesday, Yesha Council representatives toured the 26 West Bank outposts slated for evacuation, which and are currently being discussed by a special ministerial committee.
Meanwhile, Ynet has learned that settlers plan to launch a wide-scale campaign against the government's policy after the holiday of Sukkot.
Vice Premier Ramon:
Ministers Livni, Lieberman argue over committee on outposts' authority to decide on evacuation of settlements. Committee head Ramon sides with foreign minister, saying IDF chief of staff, defense minister to make such decisions
The Council members plan to meet with the defense minister and discuss a solution for the dispute, in a bid to prevent the evacuation or at least have the outposts moved to a nearby location.
Pinchas Wallerstein, head of the Binyamin regional council, told Ynet, "We took the tour in order to see everything with the naked eye and not only talk about theoretical things, move from one outpost to another in order to see the problems in each one, so that people can get the full picture and in order to formulate our opinions ahead of potential negotiations."
Wallerstein said following the tour, "When Defense Minister Ehud Barak took office, he called me and said that he wanted to meet with us in 10 days. I did not hear from him since."
Wallerstein, like other Yesha officials, said that "we will not give up on anything in terms of the outpost evacuation, and the only possible solution is to move an outpost to a nearby location."
Yesha Council officials estimated, however, that Barak would not evacuate outposts at this stage, as he has "other problems to deal with", such as the rocket attacks on Sderot and the tensions with Syria and Iran.
Yesha Council Chairman Danny Dayan told Ynet that after Sukkot the council members plan to launch a wide-scale campaign which would slam Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's policy.
"Experience shows," Wallerstein said, "That when one faces personal investigations, it is worthwhile making diplomatic concessions."
Avi Roeh, deputy head of the Mateh Binyamin council, praised Yesha members for their efforts to find a solution for the status of the outposts and called on them to hold a dialogue with outposts' residents before reaching an agreement with the Defense Ministry.
