Subscribe to Print Edition | Mon., December 10, 2007 Tevet 1, 5768 | | Israel Time: 13:13 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File Hanukkah

Right-wing activists on their way to establishing a new outpost near Ma'aleh Adumim. (Tomer Noiberg / Jini) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 07:26 10/12/2007 Analysis: Hanukkah outpost construction is an unsuccessful gimmick By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Annapolis, setllements  After the latest furor raised on Sunday by right-wing activist Aryeh Yitzhaki over the establishment of nine symbolic outposts during Hanukkah, it seems the media would do well to adopt a new rule of professional caution: When it comes to Yitzhaki, better to report after the fact. This is, after all, the same Yitzhaki who barricaded himself with a number of supporters in the Shirat Hayam outpost on the Gaza Strip beach on the eve of the disengagement, and threatened to use weapons against anyone who tried to remove him. But explanations of the gap between threats and actions are never required of the extreme right. Hence, Baruch Marzel - who never carried out his threats to shut down the infrastructure of the country at the beginning of disengagement - can keep warning to set the grass roots on fire if Prime Minister Ehud Olmert makes good on his obligation to effect additional evacuations next year. The outposts established over the holiday should be understood for what they are: the right venting its anger over Olmert's declarations ahead of possible progress in negotiations with the Palestinians, not over building real outposts. More than 100 of these have gone up throughout the West Bank with no media fanfare. They were established almost clandestinely, after long and serious preparations and in many cases with the government looking the other way, if not outrightly encouraging them. Most of the outposts were established by more serious people and - in terms of the political process - inestimably more dangerous ones than the organizers of the Hanukkah protest. Advertisement Sunday's gimmick was to set up the outpost in area E-1 between Jerusalem and Ma'aleh Adumim. In light of the plan to locate Judea and Samaria district police headquarters in the disputed area, and United States criticism over the weekend about construction at Har Homa, any move in Jerusalem attracts a great deal of attention, even before one mentions the city's status in the post-Annapolis talks or the right wing's new initiative to fight for unity of the city. The left is also aware of the major impact of steps taken in E-1 and its accessibility to foreign TV crews, close to Jerusalem. (On Saturday, Israeli anarchists and Palestinian activists >set up an "outpost" in E-1; they waited an hour and a half until the police evacuated them and promised to compare yesterday's treatment of the right-wing demonstrators.) The army and the police were quite well prepared for Sunday's outpost protest, in terms of the sensitive political situation. But the true test of the intentions and capability of the Olmert-Barak government with regard to the outposts and the settlers will come at the next stage - with real outposts with hundreds of inhabitants, as part of the obligations with which Israel returned from Annapolis, and with the outposts that will doubtless be built if talks with the Palestinians produce even the slightest progress. Related articles: 200 right-wing activists march to site of planned W. Bank outpost Police remove left-wing activists that build fake settlement outpost Rice: Har Homa homes harm talks Gaza settler establishes 'Jewish Authority' in the Strip Bookmark to del.icio.us Bigotry prevails Haaretz.com TV: A new study shows a rise in racism against Israel's Arabs. High and dry Hamas seizes hundreds of pounds of marijuana in Gaza - and burns it in public.   1.   Settlers = Pawns of Apartheid. 02:07  |  POP 10/12/07

Today Online Akiva Eldar: Building in E. J'lem undermines spirit of Annapolis Responses: 14 Russia said trying to lure Russian olim back home Responses: 59 Editorial: Israel is ignoring the law by closing its gates to non-Jews Send response Amos Harel: Israel should beware the truly dangerous outposts Responses: 3 Religious party leader: Same-sex families undermine Judaism Responses: 34 Rosner's Domain Jervis & Cohen discuss the flaws of the Iran NIE Poll: Who's your Democratic favorite for 2008? December Factor: Giuliani, Clinton, Bloomberg, McCain In defense of Hanukkah (WTR) More Headlines 13:02 EU: Dual-track approach is the only way to solve Iran nuclear crisis 12:44 Sources: Russia working to lure emigrants back from Israel 11:24 Saudis welcome Meshal in bid to broker new Hamas-Fatah talks 10:37 Police remove 60 right-wing activists from W. Bank outpost 08:05 Religious party leader: Same-sex families undermine Judaism 12:50 U.S. army chief meets Israeli officials to discuss Iran report 10:11 Petah Tikva to halt funds to schools refusing to enroll Ethiopians 12:49 Police seize suspect in Haifa assault-robbery of woman, 81 09:21 Israeli Arab women demand end to custom that left them homeless Previous Editions Select Day 09 dec 07 dec 06 dec 05 dec 04 dec 03 dec 02 dec 30 nov 29 nov 28 nov 27 nov 26 nov

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