Israel Matzav

'defense minister' orders Jews expelled from Hebron house

'defense minister' Amir Comrade Peretz has ordered more than 200 Jews expelled from the home that they purchased on the Tzir Hadamim (path of blood - so named due to a November 2002 terror attack on it in which twelve people - nine soldiers and three 'civilians' (members of Kiryat Arba's kitat koninut - essentially civilian patrols - were murdered) between Hebron and Kiryat Arba.

The timetable for the implementation of the order has yet to be set.

The decision is based on a clause according to which the settlers must have the defense minister’s authorization to stay in the disputed house, which they do not have.

Members of the Hebron Jewish Settlement Committee said in response to Peretz's decision, "We know that there is no reasonable basis for evacuating the house. We call on the defense minister not to make a decision that means Jews will be expelled from their home for political-racial reasons."

...

"The defense minister's attempt to harass the Jewish settlement in Hebron is an indecent political and arbitrary attempt," said Knesset Member Gideon Sa'ar, chairman of the Likud faction, in response to Amir Peretz's decision to evacuate the disputed house in Hebron.

"Peretz's attempt to damage the Jewish settlement in Hebron before its expected evacuation will fail," Sa'ar added.

For those of you who have forgotten, here is my original 2002 coverage of the IDF spokesperson's statement on the Tzir Hadamim attack:

IDF SPOX: 12 Israelis Killed in Sabbath Eve attack in Hebron
(Communicated by the IDF Spokesman)
Saturday, November 16, 2002 6:47 PM

Three Islamic Jihad terrorists lay ambush on route taken by Jewish worshippers

Twelve Israelis were killed and 14 were wounded by Islamic Jihad terrorists who fired on security forces guarding Jewish worshippers on the route leading from the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron to Kiryat Araba.

The dead among the security sources include 2 IDF officers [one of these was Dror Weinberg HY"D - the highest ranking IDF officer murdered in the intifada. He was the commander of the Hebron Brigade. CiJ], and two soldiers, a border police officer and 4 border policemen.

Among the security forces wounded are an IDF officer, seriously wounded, 2 border policemen, moderately wounded, and 8 soldiers, lightly wounded. The families have been notified.

The terrorists laid in wait on the road which Jewish worshippers took returning from Friday evening prayers, and opened fire at a border police jeep which was guarding the civilians. From the fire, a border policeman was instantly killed and another seriously wounded, later died of his wounds.

At the same time, the terrorist fired on the entrance gate to Kiryat Araba.

Security forces and the civilian guard of the community arrived at the scene, and engaged the terrorists. During the encounter the terrorists also threw hand grenades.

During the gun battle, in which the terrorists also used grenades, 4 IDF servicemen, 3 border policemen and 3 civilians were killed; one of the terrorists was also killed. The gun battle took place in a built up area and the Israeli forces had to rescue wounded under fire, with terrorists shooting at medics and rescue workers.

More forces arrived at the scene, pursuing 2 of the terrorists, and killing them. On the terrorists bodies an M16 rifles and many cartridges.

As a result of the attack, the IDF is deployed throughout Hebron in order to provide security for Israelis and to act against the terrorist infrastructure. [Keep in mind that the IDF eased up on Chevron as part of Fat Fuad's "Judea first" plan. CiJ 2002 comment].

It should be noted that the terrorists chose to carry out this attack during the month of Ramadan. The IDF made great efforts to ease the situation for the Palestinians living in Hebron, especially during the Ramadan. On Oct. 25 the IDF redeployed in the city, leaving most of the points it took up in the Abu Sneineh a Hart e-Sheikh neighborhood, to improve the quality of life for the Palestinian
population.

This attack took place on Sabbath eve, in an important religious area, underscoring the cruel character of Palestinian terrorists, killing Israelis with distinction.

The IDF will act against the Palestinian terror with all means at its disposal to ensure the security the citizens of Israel and the security forces.

Update 4:25 PM April 6

Comrade Peretz's assistant Ephraim Sneh is now saying that the IDF will expel the revenants by April 19, which is two weeks from yesterday. But the IDF is saying that thousands of troops may be required to carry out the expulsion. Wasting precious time and manpower on political operations like expelling Jews from legitimately purchased property is exactly why the IDF was so poorly prepared for the Lebanon War last summer that one fifth of IDF reservists have no idea how to function with their units.

A fifth of all IDF reserve units are unprepared for military operations and are in need of fundamental training, according to data collected by the IDF Ground Forces Command and published Wednesday in Yediot Aharonot.

The research revealed that 15 to 20 percent of reserve battalions have insufficient knowledge of the elementary military exercises taught to newly-established units.

According to the report, the problem was particularly prevalent in armored, artillery and engineering units.

While a committee on reserve units' performance in the Second Lebanon War, headed by OC Logistics Directorate Maj.-Gen. Avi Mizrahi, recommended that reservists undergo at least 10 days of training a year, this year - due to various constraints - reservists will receive only five. This, despite the fact that only recently, the budget for reservists was increased by 35.7 percent, from NIS 920 million in 2006 to NIS 1.25 billion in 2007.

Of course. The IDF is too busy carrying out politically motivated expulsions of Jews.

Meanwhile, Otniel Schneller of the Kadima Achora party has announced that his party will oppose Peretz's plans in the cabinet.

The Kadima platform, which is the basis for the coalition that includes the Labor party, calls for the development of the Jewish community of Hevron.

And in Jerusalem, Ehud K. Olmert continues to fiddle (and avoid taking sides) as Israel burns....

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:16 PM