Barak to offer US compromise on settlements

[Scurrilous]

Prime minister, defense minister hold late-night meeting ahead of latter's upcoming visit to Washington, agree Israel will offer to dismantle the 26 illegal West Bank outposts in exchange for US approval of continued construction in larger settlement blocs

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3721554,00.html

<snip>

"Israel will dismantle the 26 illegal outposts in the West Bank within a matter of weeks in return for the resumption of the 'natural growth' of existing settlement blocs. This is the offer Defense Minister Ehud Barak will present to the US administration during his visit to Washington next week.

The deal was agreed upon in a late-night meeting Sunday between Barak and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu."

<snip>

"Barak is scheduled to meet Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and National Security Advisor, former General James Jones.

Taking down the outposts, the defense minister will say, constitutes an tangible act of good will towards the Palestinians. In exchange he will ask for more flexibility on Washington's part in regards to their demand for a total freeze on all settlement construction – including natural growth."


Likud MKs angry as PM seeks to relocate settlers

<snip>

"Tensions are rising in Likud over yesterday's comments by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the need to evacuate illegal outposts in the West Bank in order to allow the government to focus on the real priority - dealing with the Iranian nuclear threat.

Netanyahu caught his party colleagues unprepared yesterday when he backed Defense Minister Ehud Barak's stance on the outposts, saying that, "The Defense Minister and I work in a coordinated fashion. He does not run an independent policy. During the election campaign I said we are a country where the law reigns and that we would deal with the matter of illegal outposts, if possible through dialogue and agreements, as the defense minister is doing. These days are not normal. I am asking for your understanding, your trust and your support."

Likud colleagues believe Netanyahu is working on a political program that will include the evacuation of the outposts and that he is preparing the ground in the party for such moves. "We understood that the timetable is short and we are embarking on steps that will not be popular," a senior Likud MK said yesterday."

<snip>

"As the Likud faction was meeting in the Knesset, Labor chairman Barak echoed Netanyahu when he told his party colleagues that "we will work to remove the outposts through dialogue. If that fails, we will do so unilaterally with the use of appropriate force. There is no need to say any more - we will begin operations in the coming weeks. A country must maintain authority vis-a-vis its citizens."

Netanyahu placed his statements in a historic context: "We are living in unusual times. The danger is steadily approaching. The gravest danger lies in not identifying the danger. My job is to identify the danger to Israel. Our situation in 1996 and 1999 is nothing like the situation today. We need broad unity in order to counter the threat. Who will lead the defense against the threat? Unless we do so, no one else will. In this difficult situation leadership is needed."

In essence, Netanyahu defined his new priorities for his colleagues: the threat of a nuclear Iran tops the list, superseding settlement construction."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1088179.html

[geek tragedy]

1. 26 outposts that will be rebuilt within hours

not to mention that they're not the real problem.

Shove it, Ehud.

[delad]

2. you've got to love the slimey wording they use though

"the 26 illegal outposts", as if the other settlements are fine and dandy

[bemildred]

3. I thought they was going to "defy" us? nt

[MUAD_DIB]

4. Well that's mighty big of Bibi now isn't it? :D

Tell ya what Bibi. Remove all of the illegal settlers/settlements, with an oath that you'll prosecute any trespassers on Palestinian soil, or face a US backlash that will topple your crappy little right wing government.

[IndianaGreen]

5. Bibi is consistent, but Barak has shown himself to be a total slimeball

Ehud Barak has destroyed the Labour Party.

[Malikshah]

6. Same old tune been going on for decades now. More death. More hate. Out of more greed and hate.

This is anything but compromise.

Cut the 3 billion/yr. and then let's negotiate like adults.

[Scurrilous]

7. Settlers: Outposts to double themselves

Rightists, Hilltop Youth prepare new plan of action aimed at struggling against evacuation of illegal West Bank outposts. Plan includes reinforcing presence at existing outposts, setting up new ones and spreading slogan 'Netanyahu is bad for the Jews'

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3720922,00.htm

<snip>

"Right-wing activists held a meeting Sunday in the Hebron area, on the background of reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given Defense Minister Ehud Barak a green light to evacuate illegal West Bank outposts – willingly or forcibly.

The meeting was attended by members of extra-parliamentary groups, West Bank settlers and members of the Hilltop Youth movement, who prepared a plan of action for "zero hour" titled "Battling for Our House."

<snip>

"From a review of the document it appears that the settlers have learned a thing or two from the police and army's conduct in illegal outposts in the past few years, and that they plan to take advantage of the system's weaknesses.

"Demolishing an outpost is an activity which takes a long time," they write. "For every hut the IDF and army need to organize forces of hundreds of police officers, but these forces cannot remain in the area for an unlimited period of time. Our ability to embarrass the defense minister is invaluably higher than his ability…

"Shortly after the outpost is destroyed, all structures must be rebuilt and efforts must be made to double the outpost within days."

Under the title "The Frog Plague", the move's initiators explain that "like in Egypt, where every time the Egyptians hit the frog additional frogs came out, in terms of the outpost we must understand that the more outposts destroyed the more we must increase the quota of outposts on all fronts." The plan is to build new outposts for each one destroyed."

[IndianaGreen]

8. Begins with a "club", followed by a trailer, then a house

followed by annexation by a nearby settlement.