Barak vows outposts will be evacuated within weeks

Defense Minister Ehud Barak intends to evacuate all unauthorized West Bank outposts within weeks.

"The defense minister has declared a number of times that the evacuation of illegal outposts is our obligation as a democratic state," Barak's office said in a statement released Tuesday. "This is a process which will be implemented in weeks, not years."

Earlier Tuesday, Labor MK Daniel Ben Simon said during a tour of the Samarian region that Barak had promised that the outposts would be dismantled within two months time.

The Labor Party will raise the issue in cabinet if the evacuations are not carried out by the start of the winter session, Ben-Simon said during the tour organized by the Peace Now anti-settlement organization. Labor minister Ophir Pines-Paz and former Meretz whip Zahava Gal-On also took part in the tour.

The United States is pressuring Israel to halt all settlement activity in the West Bank as it prepares to resume the peace process.

Barak promised months ago to clear out 23 outposts, but said it was a matter of law enforcement and was not addressed in talks with the Americans over freezing settlement construction.

The Israel Police force responsible for the West Bank has set up a special unit to handle preparations for a large-scale evacuation of the illegal settlement outposts.

The government has not yet formally ordered the defense establishment to start preparations, so the command is not up and running officially. However, the settlers have already set up their own "counter-command" to handle resistance to the anticipated evacuations.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also given a two-month timeline for when he expects peace negotiations to resume with the Palestinian Authority. The prime minister is currently in London for talks on the matter with the U.S. special Mideast envoy and European officials.