Israeli defence minister 'may resign'

[HeXp£Øi±]

The troops met more resistance on Sunday
Israeli Defence Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer says he is considering stepping down after he was criticised for ordering the army to remove hundreds of Jewish settlers from an illegal outpost in the West Bank. Cabinet members representing religious parties said his decision to deploy soldiers to the area on Saturday desecrated the Jewish Sabbath.

Mr Ben-Eliezer said the criticisms and lack of support from colleagues had led him to reconsider his position.

The BBC's Simon Wilson in Jerusalem says the confrontation is causing rifts in the governing coalition.

Fifty people were injured when settlers and troops clashed for a second day on Sunday as soldiers moved in to dismantle the outpost at Havat Gilad, or Gilad Farms, near the Palestinian town of Nablus.

'Liar and coward'

The troops were met by larger numbers of demonstrators than on Saturday, as people from neighbouring settlements joined in. Army bulldozers destroyed several makeshift buildings but by nightfall many settlers had returned to repair the damage.

Our correspondent says that although there have been clashes between settlers and security forces in the past, there has been nothing on this scale since the current Palestinian intifada began more than two years ago.

Infrastructure Minister Effie Eitam, who leads the National Religious Party, told Israeli radio on Sunday: "We have a defence minister who is a very worrying combination of liar and coward, who, perhaps worst of all, rode roughshod yesterday over the trust between soldiers and their commanders." Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, usually a champion of settlement building, on Sunday criticised the settlers' action, saying any attack on Israeli security forces should be condemned.

But he later expressed "great sorrow" for the "unnecessary, mass violation of the Sabbath that was imposed on hundreds of soldiers".

Mr Ben-Eliezer said the settlers' revolt was a "life-and-death danger" and warned of civil strife if it continued.

In an interview for the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, he said he would continue "to the end" to dismantle settlements and accused his opponents of cynically using the Sabbath to thwart him. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2345297.stm

 

[ris]

interestingly i read somehting preiously when the settlers attempted to stop the army by throwing stones. some police were injured but the structures were eventually destroyed. sharon sadi then that 'israel is a law-abiding nation and any attack on its army, police or security forces is an attack on the government and should be strongly condemned'
opposition members called for the defence ministers resignaton then, it seems things have changed a bit.

oh, found it
bbc link

 

[HeXp£Øi±]

I don't think we would've even heard this story had it not been for Ben-Eliezers decision to do it on the Sabbath. The Israeli population is split on the idea of settlers as it it, but doing this on a holy day really made many jews angry.