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Shvut Ami outpost in the West Bank (Nir Kafri) Last update - 20:35 16/01/2008 Security forces evacuate two small outposts in West Bank By The Associated Press Tags: outposts, west bank, Israel  Israel Defense Forces troops on Wednesday evacuated two makeshift settlement outposts in the West Bank, an incremental move against a major obstacle to Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Police and army forces arrived at the first outpost, Harchivi, near the Palestinian town of Nablus, and the five people there fled at the sight of the forces, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. No arrests were made. Advertisement At the second outpost, Shvut Ami, in the same area, IDF forces wrecked one of two unfinished houses with a bulldozer. Before the forces arrived, around 20 teenage protesters wearing skullcaps and sneakers gathered. They laid barbed wire and rocks on the road and posted signs with slogans reading, "The land of Israel belongs to the people of Israel." "We want the nation to get behind us," said Yedidya Slonin, 17, one of the protesters. "We don't feel they're behind us right now but we hope they'll follow." Some protesters lay down on the floor of one of the houses at the site, its rooms strewn with foul-smelling mattresses, old socks and paper plates. "As they were lifted and taken away by police, one young woman shouted, "Why are you wasting your time? We'll be back!" "Both outposts have been dismantled in the past," said Hagit Ofran, who tracks settlement growth for the dovish Israeli group Peace Now. Israel promised under a 2003 peace plan to evacuate about two dozen outposts. As part of the renewal of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, U.S. President George W. Bush pressed Israel last week to fulfill its commitment. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said earlier this week that the outposts' continued presence was a disgrace, but it was not clear if the government actually planned to make any significant move against them soon. Little action has been taken since he took power two years ago. "Both of the outposts evacuated on Wednesday were thrown up by teenage settlers since the summer," Ofran said. "Both were lightly populated, and evacuating them was not a serious move against the more than 100unauthorized outposts that settlers have erected," she said. "This is a children's game. They're playing tag with the army and the police," Ofran said. Outposts range from a single trailer on a hill to thriving settlements with red-roofed homes and hundreds of people. Settlers put them up to prevent the transfer of the disputed land to the Palestinians in any future peace deal. In February 2006, just weeks after taking office, Olmert sent police to tear down nine unauthorized homes in the Amona outpost, sparking violent clashes with settlers. That was his last serious move against outposts. Settlers started putting up outposts across the West Bank after Israel committed to a settlement freeze in its initial peace accords with the Palestinians in the early 1990s. The outposts lack official authorization, but were built with the cooperation of Israeli authorities. Some 3,000 Israelis live in outposts, according to Peace Now, along with 270,000 who live in 122 authorized settlements in the West Bank and 180,000 who live in east Jerusalem, which Israel annexed after the 1967 Six-Day War. Related articles: Alexander Yakobson: The horror of Amona Border Control / Who's dismantling whom? Illegal construction / Words won't dismantle outposts Barak and settlers reach deal on outpost evacuations, sources say Bookmark to del.icio.us   West Bank shooting Kiryat Sefer man, 40, sustains light to moderate wounds when terrorists open fire from passing car. Fighting words Barak vows to expand IDF operations against Qassam fire.   1.   "a move to a major obstacle to Israeli-Pal peace talks" 16:52  |  Sam 16/01/08   2.   SQUATTERS = foul-smelling mattresses, old socks and paper plates. 16:54  |  POP 16/01/08   3.   G-d`s Chosen Squatters = smelly religious douchebags 16:56  |  POP 16/01/08   4.   Soda pop 17:14  |  Max 16/01/08   5.   WHAT A JOKE! A SETTLEMENT WITH 5 PEOPLE!!! 18:01  |  TrippleJump 16/01/08   6.   dont waste IDFs time 18:02  |  Space 16/01/08   7.   Joke 18:08  |  jjvanka 16/01/08   8.   and this is progress on the road map? 18:25  |  muslim 16/01/08   9.   Slap, slap, tsk, tsk 18:44  |  Yaakov Sullivan 16/01/08   10.   Re: Space & jjvanka 18:50  |  Avi Ben Zvi 16/01/08   11.   Neglible... 18:51  |  Esther 16/01/08   12.   Don`t bother to evacuate them 19:05  |  Chris Linthwaite 16/01/08   13.   To Muslim 19:08  |  Dog 16/01/08   14.   Why my Brothers 19:13  |  Shimon 16/01/08   15.   Why my Brothers 19:13  |  Shimon 16/01/08   16.   Inaccuracies and downright lies 19:29  |  John P. 16/01/08   17.   Avi #10 20:08  |  Space 16/01/08   18.   Evacuation equal relief of arabs terror extortions 20:29  |  Joseph E . 16/01/08   19.   Space - Good point, but... 20:35  |  Avi Ben Tzvi 16/01/08   20.   Chris Linthwaite, You are absolutely wrong. 20:41  |  Johnny Weintraub 16/01/08   21.   20. we had good reason not to trust you johnny 21:19  |  muslim 16/01/08   22.   #19 Avi 21:44  |  Space 16/01/08

Today Online Boycotts will not help make Israel more democratic Send response Benvenisti: Bush, Olmert, Abbas, the three stooges Send response Barak vows to expand IDF operations against Qassam fire Send response Na'ama Sheffi: New talkback law does not hinder public dialogue Responses: 70 Amy Winehouse mulls album of 'cool' Hanukkah hits Responses: 51 Rosner's Domain Brzezinski against the right of return (WTR) Poll: Can Joe Lieberman convince Jews in Florida to vote for McCain? Secular Israelis don't care for American Jews' opinion on Jerusalem Why Bush did not say "a Jewish State" (WTR) Rosner's Mailbox: And what if Obama's a Muslim? More Headlines 10:32 Palestinians: IAF kills militant in Gaza air strike 09:52 Hamas policy: Escalation to force Israel into cease fire in Gaza 04:18 Winograd expected to slam PM over failure to consult on war 05:51 New ambassador to U.K. steps up PR to boost Israel's image 05:34 N.Y. court to rule on dispute between warring Chabad wings 09:03 Uzi Cohen, famed Likud activist, dies of a heart attack 02:24 Many Sderot residents unable to reach shelters on time 02:34 Striking university faculty accept Histadrut's compromise proposal 03:18 Education Ministry drops Arabic studies from core curriculum Previous Editions Select Day 17 jan 16 jan 15 jan 14 jan 13 jan 11 jan 10 jan 09 jan 08 jan 07 jan 06 jan 04 jan

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