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Defense Minister Ehud Barak (Daniel Bar-On / Jini)
Last update - 08:40 06/03/2008
Settlers agree to evacuate several illegal West Bank outposts
By Barak Ravid and Jonathan Lis, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: illegal outposts, Ehud Barak 

Several illegal outposts will be evacuated in the next few days, under an agreement reached between Defense Minister Ehud Barak and settler leaders. This is the first stage of dismantling 26 outposts built on private Palestinian land after March 2001.

Israel had promised the United States that it would evacuate these outposts to meet the conditions of the first stage of the diplomatic road map leading to a final-status agreement with the Palestinians.

The evacuation agreement was reached after prolonged covert negotiations between the Yesha settlers' council and Barak and his adviser for settlement affairs Eitan Broshi.
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It is based on relocating the West Bank outposts into either the large settlement blocs or in settlements near Jerusalem, under the assumption that these will remain in Israeli hands after a final-status arrangement.

The first three or four outposts will be evacuated voluntarily and relocated to other settlements nearby, as long as this does not contradict the prime minister's instructions restricting construction in the territories. The evacuated settlers will receive no compensation.

"Our intention is not to solve one problem and create a new one, so the outposts will only be relocated to settlements on which there is a consensus," a security source said.

One of the outposts earmarked for evacuation is Migron, which the state has recently promised the High Court of Justice to evacuate by August. Migron is the largest outpost and consists of more than 60 families.

The settlers and defense officials are expected to find a place for Migron's residents within the next few days.

The source said that the 26 outposts will be evacuated in stages. "Some places are still being debated and the settlers' leadership will be tested," he said.

"We believe the settlers will have an interest in relocating the outposts to legal places that can be developed and prevent them from appearing illegal."

The American administration has demanded for years that Israel evacuate the illegal outposts. Since the Annapolis conference and the resumption of peace talks, the Americans have repeated this demand, as have the Palestinians. The U.S. even appointed a special envoy to examine the implementation of the road map's first stage, which includes the evacuation of outposts.

Yesha council head Danny Dayan, who is conducting the negotiations with his colleagues Pinhas Wallerstein and Ze'ev Hever, said on Wednesday that the talks are intended "to create confidence building measures with the Defense Ministry and solve the outposts issue by agreement rather than conflict."

He said they were drafting an agreement "to evacuate a number of structures in two or three outposts. We want the government to authorize outposts that were built on state lands."

During the process the government would have to make confidence building measures toward the settlers, he said.

He refused to say which outposts would be relocated. "Their names are not clear yet. In any case you wouldn't know any of the names. They're not outposts that families live on," he said.


Related articles:
  • Palestinian killed, Israeli hurt in drive-by shooting in W. Bank
  • Ramon: PM wants accord with West Bank settlers on unauthorized outposts
  • Former Gaza Strip settlers move into new outpost in West Bank
  • Construction continuing in West Bank settlements despite PM's pledge
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      1.   The squatters should be arrested, not negotiated with. 02:34  |  POP 06/03/08
      2.   so when will the fake Mosheach leave his squatter digs? 04:09  |  Assad-u-LLAH 06/03/08
      3.   POP 04:48  |  Avrum 06/03/08
      4.   Evacuation of Outposts 05:31  |  Reid 06/03/08
      5.   Notice, the word Illegal? 06:03  |  Denise 06/03/08
      6.   Time to enforce the law 06:56  |  English Resident 06/03/08
      7.   Settlers are a disgrace 07:13  |  B. 06/03/08
      8.   Once again... 07:16  |  Esther 06/03/08
      9.   I do love this bit...... 07:23  |  Johnboy 06/03/08
      10.   It would be nice to see them to to jail 08:37  |  Danny Chennel 06/03/08
      11.   Expel The Arab Squatters From Hebron Jewish Homes 09:29  |  Yishai Kohen 06/03/08
      12.   Failure of education of the Jewish youth. 09:30  |  Jean Van Daem 06/03/08
      13.   Travesty 09:33  |  Esther 06/03/08
      14.   next Al-Quds 09:53  |  josif 06/03/08
      15.   good decision by members of the outposts 09:56  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 06/03/08
      16.   Shifting the settlers to other settlements 09:58  |  Kris 06/03/08
      17.   they`re all illegal 10:06  |  Sylvie 06/03/08
      18.   Tilted selection... 10:07  |  Esther 06/03/08
      19.   Sick, Sick, Sick 10:09  |  MB 06/03/08
      20.   26 out of 100, is that a JOKE, Mr. Barak.....???? 10:13  |  Swiss (Dino) 06/03/08
      21.   "AFTER COVERT TALKS" - AYALON/DICHTER 10:13  |  Robert 06/03/08
      22.   Meaningless 10:13  |  Michael 06/03/08
      23.   Hi Jean Van Daem 10:40  |  Danny Chennel 06/03/08
      24.   As if They Should Have a Choice 10:45  |  Johan Odin 06/03/08
      25.   Fate of the settlers 11:00  |  Danny Chennel 06/03/08
      26.   This fools no-one. 11:00  |  Don Camillo 06/03/08
      27.   Re Michael #14 11:08  |  Esther 06/03/08
      28.   ALL SETTLEMENTS BIG AND SMALL, OLD AND NEW ARE ILLEGAL 11:13  |  TripleJump 06/03/08
      29.   "The evacuated settlers will receive no compensation"... 11:15  |  Esther 06/03/08
      30.   Hi Yishai Kohen #5 - you are right! 11:21  |  Danny Channel 06/03/08
      31.   To Leave Outpost Is A Hamas Victory For The Greater Syria 11:23  |  Joseph . E 06/03/08
      32.   NEVER RETREAT! NEVER, NEVER, NEVER!!!! 11:59  |  Ben Uziel 06/03/08
      33.   josif 12:47  |  danny 06/03/08
      34.   POP you must mean all the Arabs who barged into Israel 12:53  |  PETER SM 06/03/08
      35.   ULLAH Check out which group are largest welfare recipients 12:58  |  PETER SM 06/03/08
      36.   Here`s another post that will confuse poor Dino 13:44  |  David Teich 06/03/08
      37.   Settler leader Dayan gives it away: 14:06  |  Gadfly 06/03/08
      38.   How sad! 14:07  |  Hilda 06/03/08
      39.   #12 We know it won`t be easy 14:11  |  Outsider 06/03/08
      40.   Settlers 14:17  |  Creative 06/03/08
      41.   Talks Have Been "Ongoing" For Years 14:18  |  Yaakov Sullivan 06/03/08
      42.   And Condy Has To Be Complicit In All This 14:23  |  Yaakov Siullivan 06/03/08
      43.   # 19 Unfortunately David Teich and Israel are DEAD WRONG here.... 14:23  |  Swiss (Dino) 06/03/08
      44.   Empty Israeli PR 14:33  |  Walter Jebson 06/03/08
      45.   Good. Illegal settlements next 14:36  |  John 06/03/08
      46.   Tell us about this "consensus" 14:39  |  Murray 06/03/08
      47.   Good and Law Abiding Citizens?? 14:42  |  Yaakov Sullivan 06/03/08
      48.   David Teich on legality 14:48  |  Yaakov Sullivan 06/03/08
      49.   #38 Hilda: my feelings exactly, but we must respect the politics 15:45  |  AliciaYasmeen 06/03/08
      50.   Israel is the Promised Land by G-d to the Jewish people 15:45  |  John the Priest 06/03/08
      51.   And in the fine print 15:46  |  Mark Lincoln 06/03/08
      52.   the problem for isr is that it may always be 16:25  |  bozhidar balkas 06/03/08
      53.   It`s a start...... 16:33  |  Lynn 06/03/08
      54.   Reply to Creative (Post No. 40) 16:52  |  Johnny Weintraub 06/03/08
      55.   yes english resident, @6. it is a time to evict all illegal 16:58  |  vladimir 06/03/08
      56.   When Jews are kicked from thier homes, Sully cellebrates 16:59  |  smarter then sully 06/03/08
      57.   @10, danny you are scum not the setlers 16:59  |  vladimir 06/03/08
      58.   They are NOT outposts! They are Jews living in the Holy Land. 17:05  |  Chris 06/03/08
      59.   They are NOT settlers. They are Jews living in the Holy Land 17:06  |  Chris 06/03/08
      60.   Stop the brainwash! "Settlers, outposts" - my foot!! 17:07  |  Chris 06/03/08
      61.   @19, houdy MB, arabs should obey laws too, don´t you think? 17:09  |  vladimir 06/03/08
      62.   Indiscriminate bombers in Gaza are terrorists antisemites here 17:09  |  Chris 06/03/08
      63.   Esther: I agree with all your posts herein. 17:09  |  S 06/03/08
      64.   The Promised Land to Jews is not "illegal" for Jews, ok? 17:10  |  Chris 06/03/08
      65.   Hey, antisemites here - do Jews in Sderot have human rights? 17:11  |  Chris 06/03/08
      66.   Conflicting reports and confusing Haaretz 17:35  |  Tosefta 06/03/08
      67.   Here we go again ! 17:48  |  David 06/03/08
      68.   What happened to Slowman last night? 17:53  |  Concerned 06/03/08
      69.   Chris and the human rights of Jews in Sderot 18:01  |  Yaakov Sullivan 06/03/08
      70.   Esther, move to Gaza for some fresh air. Self hating Jew 18:02  |  Chris 06/03/08