Israel Matzav

IDF to use force to enforce freeze

The Jerusalem Post disclosed on Sunday that Minister of Defense Ehud Barak has ordered the IDF to use 'paralyzing force' to enforce the 'settlement freeze.'

The 17-page document outlines military orders that had been drawn up by the Central Command after the government decided last month to impose a 10-month moratorium on new settlement construction in the West Bank.

Under the moratorium, settlers and contractors working on projects in which the foundations had not been finished must stop work for 10 months. But many settlers have vowed to continue building, anyway.

The IDF, therefore, is planning a second phase of enforcing the freeze, which will involve entering settlements to demolish all illegal construction work.

In the last few weeks, the civil administration and the Border Police have gone into most settlements to hand out stop-work orders and monitor compliance with the moratorium. In a number of settlements, residents blocked the path of security forces and clashes ensued.

In the second phase, the Border Police will oversee the demolitions and evacuate protesters, while the IDF will secure the perimeter. The IDF will move in only in cases of extreme violence.

Physical force would have to be used against the settlers, since it is assumed they would not peacefully stop work and evacuate construction sites when ordered to do so, the document states.

The settlers believe the moratorium is the start of a second disengagement and will do everything possible to prevent the demolitions, the document said. There is no concrete information that the settlers intend to take up arms, said the document, but it added that anything was possible.

The document goes into great detail, outlining different scenarios that could occur. It also distinguishes between "moderate" and "violent" settlements, such as Yitzhar.

Initially, the IDF would try to come to a verbal resolution with the settlers, but if that fails, they would surprise the settlers with what the army termed "paralyzing force."

The air force is expected to get involved by doing reconnaissance flights over the area. The IDF plans to shut down cellular phone services during the enforcement operation and to ban reporters from the scene.

Commanders have been told to prepare for incidents of insubordination.

Later in the day, the Defense Ministry said that if the revenants did not resist, no violence would be used. Later in the day, it was claimed that the orders were 'only a draft.'

The reaction from Right-wing MK's - both in and out of the Likud - was fast and furious. Here's the Likud's Danny Danon:

MK Danny Danon (Likud) said in reaction to the IDF document portraying the large forces to be used to destroy Jewish homes in Judea and Samaria that "the orders have the same bad smell that the disengagement did. Defense Minister Ehud Barak has singled out residents as an enemy, making all actions against them legitimate."

MK Danon, head of the Knesset's Child Rights' Forum, will visit Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria Sunday, where he will review the damage the building freeze has had on children in the region.

Here's the Likud's Tzipi Hotovely:

"The defense minister's uncurbed zeal for the building freeze in Judea and Samaria has completely confused him regarding who the real enemies of the State of Israel are," said Tzipi Hotovely. She called for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to intervene.

National Union's Arye Eldad:

In an interview with Israel Radio Sunday morning, MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union) said that the IDF's plan to use large forces to demolish buildings said that "we will resist, and block with our bodies the destroying forces. I recommend that Barak issue a general emergency draft call for as many soldiers as he can. Defense Minister Ehud Barak has gone insane." Eldad added that "this is a double crime – using IDF force against Jews, but not against Arabs. Both Barak and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu are guilty of this crime, and they are being aided by the government's ministers."

And National Union's Michael Ben Ari:

MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) said that "this shocking document shows that the Likud has gone to war against residents of Judea and Samaria. Netanyahu is continuing in the way of Ariel Sharon, who destroyed the IDF in an internal Jewish war, and left Hizbullah a destroyed IDF."

Meanwhile, National Union's Yaakov Katz (Ketzelah) used the occasion to attack Moshe Feiglin for his association with the Likud.

National Union chairman MK Yaakov Katz (Ketzaleh) said Sunday that the situation now faced by residents of Judea and Samaria, against whom the IDF is preparing to take drastic action to enforce Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's building freeze, is a direct result of the actions and philosophy of Likud activist Moshe Feiglin. "This is the failure of Feiglinism," MK Katz said, adding that Feiglin, who was determined to change the Likud from within, had paved the way for former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to undertake the Gaza disengagement – and was doing the same for Netanyahu.

"Feiglin helped Netanyahu get elected, and the 'good' representatives who are supporting him out of fear that the weak Prime Minister will fall, are enabling Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who is fighting for his political life, to commit crimes against the Jewish people and its spirit. We should not expect anything good to grow from the detritus of the Likud," MK Katz said.

If there's been any reaction from Feiglin, I have not seen it yet.

This is heading towards another Amona-like showdown (the picture at the top is a friend of my son's who was beaten at Amona - the boy in the picture is now married). What was Amona? It happened in 2006. Here's a documentary about it.

Let's go to the videotape.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:48 PM