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Last update - 09:49 04/12/2007
Bring them home, gradually
By Haaretz Editorial
Tags: occupation, palestinians 

Since the separation fence was built, thousands of settlers who live east of it find themselves in an unclear situation. Having to wait for a political settlement to determine the permanent border is nerve-racking for those who wish to lead a normal life. Polls show that some 20,000 settlers at least would at this point like to vacate communities east of the fence, if they receive enough compensation to buy a new home.

The "compensation for evacuation" bill, which was brought before the Knesset half a year ago by Colette Avital and Avshalom Vilan, proposes a mechanism for immediate compensation for anyone who wants to leave his or her home right now. Labor Party Chairman Ehud Barak announced this week that his party will support this legislation, thereby giving the private members' bill a renewed boost.

Construction of the separation fence has created a conjectural border between Israel and the Palestinians, and anyone who knows how to read the map understands that under any future agreement, there will not be Israeli sovereignty beyond this line. A fair arrangement for evacuation-compensation on an individual basis will provide a solution for those who wish to leave right now, and will also generate a political atmosphere for converging in the direction of the Green Line.
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It is safe to presume that the ideologues of Greater Israel will always remain in situ, but all the others will be able to transfer ownership of their homes to the government and receive compensation that will enable them to build a new life.

MKs Vilan and Avital founded the One House movement, whose goal is to encourage settlers to move to Israel voluntarily, and which has the backing of many MKs, including ministers Amir Peretz, Yuli Tamir, Ami Ayalon and Isaac Herzog. Although the government does not support the bill, it is enough that the Labor Party leader announced his support for it to receive a lift in the Knesset.

Beginning an actual evacuation would signal to the world and the Israeli public that the Annapolis speeches were not just speeches. There is no reason to turn the settlers in the West Bank into bargaining chips in peace talks, when everyone knows that a majority of Israelis is not in favor of continuing to maintain settlements in the heart of a Palestinian population.

A voluntary evacuation law for settlers can serve as an updated platform for the Labor Party when elections are held. An opinion poll conducted by the Dahaf Institute and Kalman Geyer found that 80 percent of the public supports this. Zvi Katzover, head of Kiryat Arba's local council, concedes that a voluntary evacuation law could tempt many to abandon the town of Kiryat Arba, which is home mostly to people who sought a housing solution.

Ehud Olmert's claim that evacuation-compensation legislation for West Bank settlers is premature indicates his fear of the coalition breaking apart. The question is whether parties like Shas and Yisrael Beiteinu ought to oppose a law that does not compel evacuation, but rather provides a fair opportunity for those who wish to do so to receive proper compensation of around NIS 1 million per family. Evacuating settlements gradually is one of the lessons of the evacuation from the Gaza Strip, and it can reduce some of the drama and trauma of a general evacuation following a political agreement.
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  1.   Double standard 10:09  |  Matthias Roth 04/12/07
  2.   Clearly, the major settlement blocs in Judea and Samaria will 10:15  |  Yardena 04/12/07
  3.   We are Home 10:35  |  Beni 04/12/07
  4.   WHOLE ARAB-ISRAEL CONFLICT EXPLAINED IN LESS THAN 20 LINES 10:42  |  G. Marcus 04/12/07
  5.   Country roads, take me home...... 10:43  |  Swiss (Dino) 04/12/07
  6.   "is nerve-racking for those who wish to lead a normal life." 10:45  |  Axel 04/12/07
  7.   Honesty in declaring choice of two state solution vs APARTHEID 10:53  |  Ivar 04/12/07
  8.   High time! 11:14  |  Esther 04/12/07
  9.   Sweet deal 11:32  |  M. Franks-Lhermann 04/12/07
  10.   When the rockets start falling 12:13  |  Zev 04/12/07
  11.   Real deal 12:17  |  Josef 04/12/07
  12.   so easy to talk from a distance 12:17  |  G 04/12/07
  13.   it`s not going to happen voluntarily/smoothly 12:56  |  jerome 04/12/07
  14.   Compensation 12:59  |  Jo Jo 04/12/07
  15.   The "Real deal" is peace, accompanied by prosperity 13:05  |  Ivar 04/12/07
  16.   #10 Zev: When the rockets start falling 13:13  |  Rami 04/12/07
  17.   Settlements 13:19  |  Jacob 04/12/07
  18.   Yardena # 2 Don`t you think Israel should finance 13:25  |  Nahum 04/12/07
  19.   #11 Josef: Who is lying? 13:27  |  Galit 04/12/07
  20.   The fate of the settlers. 13:28  |  sandra chitayat 04/12/07
  21.   What about Arab compensation 13:30  |  SJ 04/12/07
  22.   border 13:31  |  andoni 04/12/07
  23.   Compensation for theft? 13:34  |  KK 04/12/07
  24.   The New Israel -- 1967 Again 13:40  |  Trembling Palestine 04/12/07
  25.   Unfair suggestion 13:45  |  Jan Elshout 04/12/07
  26.   Wasn`t the fence built for security reasons? 14:06  |  Ilan 04/12/07
  27.   Compensating thieves will encourage more theft 14:15  |  Gal 04/12/07
  28.   Yes, Give them land to fire Kassams on Gush Dan Please! 14:23  |  Oiy va Voiy 04/12/07
  29.   I thought the govt. had no money 14:26  |  g. 04/12/07
  30.   Jan Elshout, your facts not correct. 14:31  |  Benjamina 04/12/07
  31.   (Ex American) settlers want huge houses on free land 14:37  |  Sara 04/12/07
  32.   For that we say the public Lefties are stupid for they pay . 14:37  |  Joseph E . 04/12/07
  33.   Esther #8 14:53  |  GABE1 04/12/07
  34.   Lefties Bribes You To Leave , Next Millions of Jihadists 14:55  |  Joseph E . 04/12/07
  35.   Community fabric is not bought with cheap bribes!! 15:27  |  Dr Eric 04/12/07
  36.   #26 Quite right, Ilan 15:35  |  Johnboy 04/12/07
  37.   No Reason to Have a Judenrein West Bank-The Settlers Should Stay! 15:41  |  MIKE 04/12/07
  38.   #35 DjEric: "Dream about people who love Israel" 15:45  |  DjBenny 04/12/07
  39.   WAGON TRAIN & LONG ROAD HOME. 15:48  |  Stephen. 04/12/07
  40.   Why Not Send Arabs "Home" As Well? 15:53  |  Ben Israel 04/12/07
  41.   Ben Israel 16:12  |  jacob 04/12/07
  42.   Wrong GALUT ONE (gabe1) #33 16:32  |  Ari ben Yisrael 04/12/07
  43.   to esther, jacob, gal et al 16:45  |  Avraham Avinu 04/12/07
  44.   The Wall needs to be moved EAST as well 16:50  |  Ibrahim 04/12/07
  45.   wrong wrong wrong! 17:02  |  ralph 04/12/07
  46.   Esther #8 17:59  |  S 04/12/07
  47.   Detoxify the loony Left, gradually 18:13  |  Teez El-Nabi 04/12/07
  48.   to Avraham Avinu #43 18:14  |  zeev 04/12/07
  49.   Hold Everything NOT yet Pulleeze!!! 18:19  |  Woody Allen 04/12/07
  50.   Home is in the Eyes of the Beholder 18:23  |  Yitzhak Sokoloff 04/12/07
  51.   Editorialus Seek to Overpower Jews 18:24  |  Joseph E . 04/12/07
  52.   It is Israel`s Land 18:37  |  Brod 04/12/07
  53.   Please let the settlers stay! 18:37  |  Dutch Dirk 04/12/07
  54.   WEST OF THE FENCE 18:40  |  daat y 04/12/07
  55.   Teez 18:40  |  Jacob 04/12/07
  56.   Yitzhak and co 18:46  |  Jacob 04/12/07
  57.   Telling... 18:46  |  David 04/12/07
  58.   Teez Teaser in safe (chilly) London 18:57  |  Trembling Palestinia 04/12/07
  59.   majority against the settlers...? 18:58  |  ravi 04/12/07
  60.   Wrong Assumptions 19:00  |  yitz 04/12/07
  61.   to Ben Israel #40 19:00  |  zeev 04/12/07
  62.   # 2 Yardena 19:02  |  Jim 04/12/07
  63.   To zeev 19:11  |  Avraham avinu 04/12/07
  64.   BRING MORE OLIM FROM EAST OF THE MISSISSIPI 19:14  |  Avraham Avinu 04/12/07
  65.   # 4 G. Marcus 19:15  |  Jim 04/12/07
  66.   #44 Ibrahim- ever been to Israel? 19:19  |  peter 04/12/07
  67.   # 5 Swiss Dino 19:20  |  Jim 04/12/07
  68.   See for yourselves!!! 19:31  |  Dr Eric 04/12/07
  69.   to Brod #52 19:46  |  zeev 04/12/07
  70.   Voluntary evacuation would send a significant positive signal 19:48  |  newageblues 04/12/07
  71.   # 18 Nahum 19:51  |  Jim 04/12/07
  72.   # 67 Jim 20:05  |  Swiss (Dino) 04/12/07
  73.   Yitz; Abbas could be gone tomorrow 20:27  |  Jacob 04/12/07
  74.   Advice from and to Haaretz 20:28  |  Sidney 04/12/07
  75.   Ari Been Deluded 20:36  |  GABE1 04/12/07
  76.   # 25 Jan Elshout 20:42  |  Jim 04/12/07
  77.   #74-Sidney of USA 20:48  |  peter 04/12/07
  78.   # 27 Gal 20:50  |  Jim 04/12/07
  79.   # 35 Dr. Eric 21:12  |  Jim 04/12/07
  80.   Good idea 21:16  |  Danite 04/12/07
  81.   S # 46 21:17  |  American in NY 04/12/07
  82.   to G. Marcus # 4, -& everybody else ! 21:23  |  Judah N. Wenkel