Aryeh Yitzhaki, a resident of the Gaza settlement of Kfar Yam, announced the establishment of a Jewish Authority in the Strip on Sunday.
"According to international law, when an occupying force leaves territory that it held, local residents become sovereign rulers of that territory," Yitzhaki declared at a press conference. He said that rather than be evacuated, the settlers should recognized as sovereign rulers of the place, as an independent entity separate from Israel.
Some 15 supporters of the initiative, wearing shirts emblazoned with the words "The Jewish Authority" cheered Yitzhaki's announcement.
Advertisement
Yitzhaki said many residents of the Gush Katif settlement bloc support his initiative, and that elections in the Authority would be held in three weeks.
Yitzhaki, who recently established the Gaza Region Absorption Authority, which encourages the emigration of Israelis to the Strip, declared that, "in honor of Israel disengaging from Gush Katif," the Authority will hold democratic elections within 21 days. Authority supporters called on the Israeli government to dispatch weapons and supplies, and requested that various international institutions recognize the Authority.
Among those showing their support for Yitzhaki was Women in Green leader Nadia Matar, who led the civil disobedience during assassinated prime minister Yitzhak Rabin's tenure.
Yitzhaki, a military historian, told his supporters that there are various opposition plans, but refused to disclose his "tactical secrets."
Yitzhaki's proposal was met with angry responses, mainly from leaders of the adjacent Shirat Hayam settlement, who claim that his initiative adversely affects the opposition campaign that they plan to wage.
Final preparations were made Sunday in Shirat Hayam and Kfar Hayam ahead of the military closure of the Gush Katif settlement bloc, despite the fact that Sunday, Tisha B'Av, was a fast day.
The final preparations sharpened the question regarding leadership and division of power between the two settlements and the various groups in Shirat Hayam.
At a press conference held by the Shirat Hayam secretary and spokesperson, the two declared that the settlement plans a passive opposition to evacuation, but will not cooperate with those carrying out the evacuation. They stressed that Shirat Hayam's preparations are separate from those of the eight families that reside in Kfar Hayam. The Shirat Hayam council decided that those responsible for making the decisions would be the original families who moved there four years ago, and that all individuals who moved to tents on the beach as part of the opposition to the disengagement plan would have to accept the decision of the families or leave the site
Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
