Israeli government to discuss evacuation-compensation bill for settlers east of the Wall

Wednesday September 03, 2008 22:43 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Israeli media sources reported on Wednesday that the Israeli cabinet is set to discuss on Sunday a possible “Evacuation and Compensation Bill”. The bill proposes offering compensation for settlers living in some West Bank isolated settlements, located east of the Annexation Wall.

Maali Adumim settlemnt

Israeli online daily, Haaretz, reported that the proposal was authorized by Israel’s Vice Prime Minister, Haim Ramon. The proposal offers financial compensation to the settlers in exchange for relocating into Israel.

 Ramon added that the proposal will not be voted on as it will only be presented because the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, is interested in knowing the opinions of his ministers on the issue.

According to the proposal, the settlers who live in settlements east of the Wall will be relocated and compensated as Israel will eventually end its control over these areas in the coming years.

The religious Shas movement objected to the proposal while Israel’s Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, stated that this issue can be discussed and that it is still too early to make a decision regarding permanent borders as the borders will be determined during negotiations.

It is worth mentioning that Ramon examined over the last year the Israeli readiness for the “Evacuation and Compensation Law”. Olmert approved examining this issue but the political developments and the criminal probes against him barred Ramon from presenting this proposal to a Knesset vote in March.

Ramon is expected to present to the government the results of studies and surveys conducted among the settlers. The studies revealed that 20-30% of West Bank settlers are willing to evacuate voluntarily.

Several Israeli ministers said that the Olmert government is transitional and cannot discuss such an issue.

Shas leader, Eli Yishai, said that “the settlers did not recover from being expelled from the Gaza Strip”, and added that “there are people in the government who are acting in order to illegally expel the settlers again”.  

Also, several Kadima party minister, members of the same party headed by Olmert, including Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, and Minister of Transportation Shaul Mofaz, said that it is too early to talk about evacuation and that this issue should not be carried out before the permanent borders are set.

Mofaz said that the proposed law weakens Israel and its position in any future peace talks.

In 2007, Israel’s Defense Minister and head of the Labor party, Ehud Barak, said that his party will support the evacuation if presented to the cabinet for a vote, but his current position remains unclear.

Israeli political analysts believe that it is unlikely that the government will vote in favor of the proposed law.

The proposed law does not include any settlement blocs the West Bank as Israel insists to keep them under its control. The law is regarding isolated settlements and illegal settlement blocs in the occupied West Bank.

west bank | israeli settlement | news report saed at imemc dot org