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Last update - 03:19 03/12/2008
ANALYSIS / Why hasn't Israel evacuated the Hebron house yet?
By Amos Harel and Avi Isaacharoff, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: IDF, Hebron, Israel News 

It is hard to understand why the order to forcibly evict settlers from the so-called House of Contention has still not been given. After all, the state announced its intention to evacuate the house more than two weeks ago, following the High Court of Justice's ruling on the subject. This week, after studying the issue, the Justice Ministry concluded that barring "weighty reasons" for postponement, Defense Minister Ehud Barak must order the evacuation within 30 days of the court's decision, meaning by December 15.

Meanwhile, rumors of the approaching eviction have driven the extreme right crazy. The violence in Hebron - and, simultaneously, in hilltop settlements in the northern West Bank - is escalating, and the security services have long since lost control of events. The army, which traditionally defers to the settlers and is wary of confronting them, openly admits that this time, the settlers are the provocateurs: They are the ones who ignited this round of clashes with the Palestinians.

But Hebron's Palestinians have also not refrained from stirring the pot: Tuesday, a 16-year-old Jew was seriously injured by a Palestinian stone-thrower. If the violence and especially the accompanying desecration of Muslim mosques and graves continue, the rioters could escalate to live fire. And ironically, all this is happening after the security services have succeeded in reducing Palestinian terror in Hebron to its lowest level in years.
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The army and police have thus far handled the violence miserably. Palestinian property has been abandoned to the vandals, and local residents cannot even depend on the authorities to protect them. Border policemen have been stoned as well. There have been very few arrests, and the rampages have largely continued without let or hindrance - though a small step forward occurred when border policemen threw tear-gas grenades at a group of Jewish rioters. Only Tuesday, a week too late, did the army finally declare the area a closed military zone and put up checkpoints to prevent reinforcements from reaching the rioters.

Settler leaders in Hebron claim that most of the rioters come from outside the city - mainly from the northern West Bank - and that the leadership has tried to get the newcomers to leave. Yet in the same breath, with characteristic hypocrisy, they have been calling for reinforcements from throughout the West Bank to come and help them resist the evacuation.

Perhaps the most noteworthy element of the clashes is the involvement of Israeli teens and even children. During the first intifada, Israeli spokesmen used to lambaste Palestinian parents for sending their children to throw stones at Israeli troops. So where are the parents and teachers of the children who have been rioting in Hebron for the last week? Does the Compulsory Education Law not apply in the West Bank? Responsible adults have been noticeably absent from Hebron this week.

The euphemism settlers have adopted for their violence is the "price-tag policy." In reality, however, this is organized crime: They are assaulting Palestinian people and property in response to decisions by the High Court and government. And the attacks on Muslim graves and mosques have given the riots worrying overtones of a religious war.

The denouement is almost inevitable: With the police and army being criticized for weakness and the settlers preparing violent resistance, the evacuation itself will be very violent indeed, just like Amona in 2006. And since the settlers' violence appears to be actually hastening the evacuation, it is likely to come very soon.


Related articles:
  • IDF declares Hebron `house of contention` a closed military zone
  • Next to Hebron's 'House of Contention,' Palestinian neighbors live in fear
  • 20,000 Jewish pilgrims to descend on Hebron amid settler violence
    • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Light unto the nations
    Obama must help Israel break its territorial addiction.
    Blockade busters
    Israeli Arab leaders vow to sail to Gaza to break blockade.
      1.   Do you expect Ehud Bawwak to do it? 03:24  |  Mark Lincoln 03/12/08
      2.   The Settlers know who runs Israel 03:25  |  Mark Lincoln 03/12/08
      3.   hharetz needs to start posting headings poperly 03:25  |  Arie 03/12/08
      4.   Not unlike Thailand 03:27  |  CT 03/12/08
      5.   Earth to Haaretz, Calling Haaretz 03:27  |  Mark Lincoln 03/12/08
      6.   POOR ISRAEL 04:39  |  Arik Silverman 03/12/08
      7.   Peace House 04:45  |  jerry 03/12/08
      8.   Why? Because the Eviction Order is Unlawful v.s Human Rights 05:36  |  Baruch Gold 03/12/08
      9.   Arie needs to don his wingnut focus cap... 05:44  |  BBSNews 03/12/08
      10.   double standards 05:53  |  rm 03/12/08
      11.   I wrote this letter to Avi Dichter. No reply!! 06:03  |  DAVID 03/12/08
      12.   The Court Didn`t Rule Peace House SHOULD Be Ethnically Cleansed 06:34  |  Yishai Kohen 03/12/08
      13.   At last it has been said: "..this is organized crime" 07:01  |  Esther 03/12/08
      14.   Young Jewish boy seriously injured by a Palestinian stone-thrower 08:05  |  Natasha 03/12/08
      15.   #11 Err, some points to ponder, Mr. Attorney 08:08  |  Johnboy 03/12/08
      16.   No reply DAVID because you are a wingnut... 08:09  |  BBSNews 03/12/08
      17.   Hebron is part of the Land of Israel on which we have ... 08:20  |  Jean Van Daem 03/12/08
      18.   criminals 08:50  |  sa 03/12/08
      19.   Amos Harel and Avi Isaacharoff, 08:52  |  Digusted 03/12/08
      20.   "In reality, however, this is organized crime" 2nd try... 09:06  |  Esther 03/12/08
      21.   Simple answer 10:09  |  Clickfool 03/12/08
      22.   please state the facts 10:09  |  bellows 03/12/08
      23.   Druze appeal for NO EXPEL of Jews 10:10  |  Shoshi 03/12/08
      24.   Responsible adults do not bring children to occupied territory 10:10  |  John 03/12/08
      25.   Just pure shame 10:18  |  Leon 03/12/08
      26.   To David (11) 10:28  |  Magnus K. 03/12/08
      27.   hebron peace house 10:42  |  spud murphy 03/12/08
      28.   Because LAW does NOT require the EVACUATION 11:16  |  Moshe 03/12/08
      29.   Ha`aretz does the Pal`s propaganda work 13:04  |  Joe Sittizen 03/12/08
      30.   Baruch Gold 13:12  |  A.M. 03/12/08
      31.   Because The Government is Losing Control of the Army 13:32  |  Moshe Cryan 03/12/08
      32.   Because evacuation is illegal 14:03  |  peter 03/12/08
      33.   It does look that way Moshe 14:40  |  Mark Lincoln 03/12/08
      34.   last cry: leftists face the truth. share the power! 15:13  |  the sober 03/12/08
      35.   Analysis? I don`t think so (surely to be eraased by haaretz) 18:00  |  Arie 03/12/08
      36.   Why haven`t the Jewish ownership documents been published 18:12  |  Yaakov K. 03/12/08
      37.   Adopting Saudi Plan FIRST makes it much simpler to evict settlers 18:46  |  Ivar 03/12/08
      38.   Joe S., 29, confuses the one state and the two state solutions 18:59  |  |var 03/12/08
      39.   Right again Natasha, starving 08:54  |  Ben 04/12/08
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