My Truth: There is no such thing as an illegal outpost

Ariel Sharon instructed our youth to “charge the hilltops”. The State allowed water and electricity link-ups, provided infrastructure and roads, encouraged the settlement of the outposts with grants and financial incentives. There is no such thing as an illegal outpost. Some were erected with the State turning a blind eye, some were authorized behind closed doors with a wink or a handshake. But there is no such thing as an illegal outpost.

It is true that Ariel Sharon, as Prime Minister, adopted President Bush’s Road Map, and that one of the clauses in the agreement (out of 38 clauses) is that the government of Israel will dismantle settlement outposts erected since March 2001. It is also true that the Road Map is “Performance Based”. The very first clause of the Road Map, to be carried out at the outset of Phase I, has yet to be met. It reads: “Palestinian leadership issues unequivocal statement reiterating Israel’s right to exist in peace and security and calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire to end armed activity and all acts of violence against Israelis anywhere. All official Palestinian institutions end incitement against Israel.”

Nor have the clauses requiring “confiscation of illegal weapons and consolidation of security authority, free of association with terror and corruption” and “Arab states cut off public and private funding and all other forms of support for groups supporting and engaging in violence and terror”.

What happened to these clauses? Why is the left wing so zealous about pursuing clause number 24 (dismantling of settlements), yet so apathetic when it comes to the remainder 37 clauses? Why jump straight to clause number 24, when the previous 23 clauses are left unfulfilled? Those who claim it’s a law-and-order issue are also tainted by duplicity and political agenda.

Why is there no Ministerial Committee on the dismantling of illegal Palestinian building prevalent throughout Israeli controlled Area C of Judea and Samaria (such as the one on Jewish outposts)? Why is there no Ministerial Committee on the dismantling of illegal Bedouin building rampant throughout the Negev, or illegal Arab building consuming the Galilee? There are over 70,000 illegal Bedouin buildings in the Negev (only 1,600 in the outposts) and over 260,000 dunam of land unlawfully seized, equivalent to the combined area of Jerusalem + Tel Aviv + Haifa + Hod Hasharon + Yahud. I have demanded of the Prime Minister to set up these committees, while fighting the double-standard from within the committee.

It was not so long ago that Israel had evicted its Jewish citizens from Gush Katif and Northern Samaria. This is still an open wound, a continuing rift in Israeli society. We do not need a repeat of Gush Katif or Amona. Especially when the government has yet to find those evicted families suitable rehabilitation.