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ANALYSIS / A state within a state has arisen in the territories
By Yossi Sarid
Tags: settlers, High Court, Hebron 

It did not happen yesterday, it will not happen today, and in the near future it is not about to happen. The High Court of Justice did pronounce judgment at the beginning of the week, ordering the evacuation of the disputed house in Hebron within three days. But the rulings of the court have recently become rulings for the Messiah to deal with when he comes - who takes them seriously? The still, small voice of the High Court had only just spoken, and the Justice Ministry lawyers were running to their minister with wise advise how not to undertake the evacuation; the advisers know the situation and the soul of their minister.

A new custom has come to the country: High Court rulings are one thing, reality is another. One has not the slightest thing to do with the other: The settlements and the outposts are planted firmly in place and refuse to be uprooted; private land of Palestinians is being freely robbed; whole neighborhoods born in sin are being populated; homes that have been stolen are filling with people; a brazen fence stands according to its original, arbitrary plan with only minimal changes.

A state within a state has arisen in the territories; it is standing up to the country that created it and is overcoming it. "The state today is the enemy of the people of Israel," some people defiantly said Thursday in Hebron.
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In London at the British Parliament, President Shimon Peres also presented a harsh vision: Israel will find it difficult to evacuate the settlements without civil war, he said. What he meant was that those who want peace with our neighbors based upon the "Beirut Declaration" should get ready for war with our settlers based on a declaration of independence. But to judge from the experience of the past 41 years, including the personal and unfortunate experience of Peres himself, it is entirely unclear who will win this war - the State of Israel or the destroyers who come forth from it.

And yet, it is good that there are judges in Jerusalem who can be a target for the arrows of hatred and rebellion; it is good that there is someone at whom to spew venom. "Sodom also had its judges," the rabbis of the settlements recalled this week, who for some reason have still not been defined as soldiers of one of the crime families. "If the High Court wants a collision, it will get a collision," they warned.

The government therefore has to decide who it fears most - the judges or the settlers. By default, it has actually decided. On Sunday the ministers will once again pound the cabinet table: We will under no circumstances come to terms with this, they will say as usual. We have decided to uproot the wild weeds. All who hear will laugh, or cry.

Not only did they not evacuate the disputed house, they did not even dream of evacuating it. From the outset came a statement from "an official in the Central Command" - a student of the Bible, that this week's Torah Portion is "Life of Sarah" and how can Jews be evacuated by force only two days before the portion is read that tells the story of Abraham's purchase of the Cave of the Patriarchs. It is interesting to know what pretext the army would have invented if Sarah the Matriarch had died a few weeks earlier or later. Happy are we to have have officers like these, who combine the Good Book with the sword, and show more awareness and sensitivity to Israel's ancient heritage than to High Court President Dorit Beinisch and to those with her in this matter on the bench, justices Ayala Procaccia and Salim Jubran.

Elections are around the corner. In three months Daniel Friedmann will no longer be justice minister. Blessed be He who freed us of that burden and of his contentiousness, but who did not free us from his legacy. Friedmann is the only minister in this government whose deep impression on it will not so quickly disappear. And still, he does not rest on his packed bags: This week he proposed a bill that limits the authority of the High Court to intervene in "security, diplomatic and budgetary issues." As if there are other issues in which to intervene.

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      1.   Not `within` 04:46  |  jjvanka 21/11/08
      2.   That`s some real objective journalism tere 04:56  |  Ephraim 21/11/08
      3.   Let us all pray for Rosmary`s Baby 05:00  |  Mark Lincoln 21/11/08
      4.   How much longer can Israel survive the "settlers"? 05:29  |  BBSNews 21/11/08
      5.   THE TICKING CLOCK 05:35  |  Arik Silverman 21/11/08
      6.   How can we get together 06:10  |  Moshe 21/11/08
      7.   Possesion is 9/10th of the law - Politization of Supreme Court 06:13  |  Chaim 21/11/08
      8.   When the lefties in TA threaten to exile 150K residents - what... 06:15  |  Lemmings Hotline 21/11/08
      9.   where is proof of these allegations ? 06:17  |  very puzzled 21/11/08
      10.   Clocks ticking 06:43  |  oren 21/11/08
      11.   Yosi Sarid - rewriting history 06:58  |  Jon 21/11/08
      12.   High Court forfeits right to judge 07:00  |  Moshe 21/11/08
      13.   Haaretz propeganda 07:48  |  Gili 21/11/08
      14.   Sarid`s Hypocrisy 07:55  |  Ben Israel 21/11/08
      15.   "The still, small voice of the High Court" - I stopped reading .. 08:09  |  redmike 21/11/08
      16.   #10 "60 -100 years"? Try 25 years max .. 08:16  |  redmike 21/11/08
      17.   When the High Court of Justice mixes with politics! 08:23  |  Mario Sala 21/11/08
      18.   A State within a State 08:36  |  DT 21/11/08
      19.   a state with in a country IS ligitimate 08:36  |  paul 21/11/08
      20.   SETTLERS-ISRAEL`S FUTURE.MERETZ CAPUT.RABBIS REPLACE SUPREMECOURT 08:48  |  SETTLER RABBI)))) 21/11/08
      21.   sad really 08:49  |  rm 21/11/08
      22.   Dealing with that lawless state within a state 09:48  |  Clickfool 21/11/08
      23.   #7 Posession is nine-tenths of the law 09:49  |  Keith T. 21/11/08
      24.   Re the settler state-within-a-state....(2nd try) 10:06  |  Esther 21/11/08
      25.   #19 a brave DANDYlion posts from where??? 10:10  |  Ari ben Yisrael 21/11/08
      26.   Israel has about ten years before the settlers take control of it 10:19  |  Michael 21/11/08
      27.   A state has arisen 10:20  |  Ralph 21/11/08
      28.   Chaim #7... "full legal process"... 10:26  |  Esther 21/11/08
      29.   Right on, BBCN, #3! 10:39  |  Ivar 21/11/08
      30.   "Expel the son of this maidservant, for the son of 10:52  |  Yaakov K. 21/11/08
      31.   The High Court of Justice in Israel is corrupt 10:52  |  Ben 21/11/08
      32.   The supreme court did not rule that the Government 10:56  |  Zev 21/11/08
      33.   At least 3 states 11:05  |  Dani 21/11/08
      34.   A State within a State 11:28  |  Avi Yerushalmi 21/11/08
      35.   #18 which ones are they mr clickfool? 11:38  |  very puzzled 21/11/08
      36.   we traded Gush Katiff for rocket attacks 11:53  |  zionist forever 21/11/08
      37.   A state within a state ,an arab state has arisen within Israel 12:02  |  Absolute Sweden 21/11/08
      38.   Lawless members of the State? 12:20  |  JW 21/11/08
      39.   Sahllow and stagnant pool 13:01  |  Gideon Reader 21/11/08
      40.   Mark Lincoln 13:07  |  lady from USA 21/11/08
      41.   BBSNews 13:10  |  lady from USA 21/11/08
      42.   Stop the nonsense ! 13:12  |  Akram Zekaria 21/11/08
      43.   Arik Silverman 13:12  |  lady from USA 21/11/08
      44.   Destruction of the 2nd Temple and civil war 13:17  |  Shtarka 21/11/08
      45.   To Yaacov K @ 20 - Expelling Jews from their land is shameful 13:23  |  The Threadmill 21/11/08
      46.   See how lawful England is for example, Click 13:25  |  Israel cititzen 21/11/08
      47.   A State within a State (Second try) 13:30  |  Avi Yerushalmi 21/11/08
      48.   very puzzled 13:40  |  lady from USA 21/11/08
      49.   What is it with Red Head Jews Being More Extremists than... 13:41  |  Monitor 21/11/08
      50.   Shtarka - ex uno disce omnes 14:21  |  Mark Lincoln 21/11/08
      51.   I would be worried too if I were a haaretz writer 14:29  |  josh 21/11/08
      52.   Keith T, I bet you`d like Arab armies to wipe out Israel 14:39  |  Ephraim 21/11/08
      53.   #23 (me): Bible quote correction 15:34  |  Yaakov K. 21/11/08
      54.   Why does Sarid support ethnic cleansing by Pals? 15:53  |  Joe Sittizen 21/11/08
      55.   Those whom God wishes to destroy . . . 15:58  |  Peter 21/11/08
      56.   You cannot have your cake and eat it 16:25  |  Jack 21/11/08
      57.   For all those ingenuous bleeding hearts... 17:06  |  Esther 21/11/08
      58.   "A state within a state has arisen in the territories" 17:09  |  curious 21/11/08
      59.   "A state within a state has arisen in the territories." 17:32  |  curious 21/11/08
      60.   BBSnews: America and Australia survived British "settlers" 18:21  |  Bennie 21/11/08
      61.   For Israel Citizen # 39 18:24  |  Clickfool 21/11/08
      62.   When Hamas Replaces Fatah in the West Bank, 18:37  |  Reader 21/11/08
      63.   A state within a state has arisen in the territories 19:26  |  n_erber 21/11/08
      64.   Take your phony "peace process" and shove it! 19:39  |  Chaim 21/11/08
      65.   Well, Click #59...you`ve said it more forcefully than I would... 19:39  |  Esther 21/11/08
      66.   Bennie 20:06  |  Palestinian Brit 21/11/08
      67.   #66 Palestinian Brit: We have not stolen land. You did. 20:33  |  Bennie 21/11/08
      68.   A state within a state has arisen in the territories - extention 21:46  |  n_erber 21/11/08
      69.   As an America, I apologize for Lady from USA... 22:13  |  BBSNews 21/11/08
      70.   Bennie, I am Eastern Band Cherokee... 22:27  |  BBSNews 21/11/08
      71.   Can`t they use bulldozers? 22:32  |  mick 21/11/08
      72.   hmm i wonder why people wont want to be displaced because of war 22:45  |  joshua 21/11/08
      73.   # 41 lady 22:56  |  Axel 21/11/08
      74.   # 35 very puzzled 23:04  |  Axel 21/11/08
      75.   # 7 chaim 23:08  |  Axel 21/11/08
      76.   Axel 23:45  |  Howard Friedman 21/11/08
      77.   #70 confusion in the wig wam by acherokee 23:55  |  very puzzled 21/11/08
      78.   Bennie from Jerusalem.... 00:07  |  Palesitinain Brit 22/11/08
      79.   Bennie - forgot to ask.... 00:11  |  Palestinian Brit 22/11/08
      80.   # 77 very puzzled 00:43  |  Axel 22/11/08
      81.   Defintely VERY puzzled.... 01:05  |  Palestinian Brit 22/11/08
      82.   # 72 joshua 01:13  |  Axel 22/11/08
      83.   Barren land....no72 01:14  |  Palestinian Brit 22/11/08
      84.   very puzzled sounds just like Paul Harris/Hardman 01:23  |  Labhras 22/11/08
      85.   Correction Mike 01:32  |  Gregor 22/11/08
      86.   #72 Joshua, poor and usual excuses! 02:06  |  janet 22/11/08
      87.   Blame Olmert and the left 04:20  |  Jack 22/11/08
      88.   40 Lady from USA - Ronald Reagan was a Politician 06:49  |  Mark of Lewiston 22/11/08
      89.   56# Jack when the Cake is rotten you can`t have it or eat it. 10:05  |  Akram Zekaria 22/11/08
      90.   #37 10:27  |  elsie 22/11/08
      91.   #80 axel agrees that jordan gave up any claim to the territory as 10:58  |  very puzzled 22/11/08
      92.   For Labhras on Victor Paul Harris Hardman 11:30  |  Clickfool 22/11/08
      93.   #91 WHAT IS THE BRAND OF CLiCKFOOL AND LABARSE ?? 11:59  |  victor hardman 22/11/08
      94.   For all the puzzled, and also Click #91... 12:50  |  Esther 22/11/08
      95.   Shtarka 14:15  |  lady from USA 22/11/08
      96.   Axel 14:23  |  lady from USA 22/11/08
      97.   Who will speak out when Jew kills Jew? 16:34  |  Manny Goldstein 22/11/08
      98.   Not a `state within a state` at all 18:20  |  Mark Lincoln 22/11/08
      99.   Misleading Reporting - Read the High Court Ruling Again 18:22  |  Shaul 22/11/08
      100.   What Mr Peres is saying was said before by Mr Abbas. 19:15  |  Hamzah 22/11/08
      101.   Yossi Sarid 23:24  |  The Teacher/Instruct 22/11/08
      102.   Manny, The Only Good Advice They Can Give is... 05:04  |  Reader 23/11/08
      103.   To Mark Lincoln # 50 09:14  |  Shtarka 24/11/08
      104.   States within countries legitimate, but... 00:50  |  Sardaukar 25/11/08
      105.   Where is the oil money? 16:08  |  Esky 03/12/08
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