Israel Matzav

Pro-peace revenants to join protests against 'security fence'

Three pro-peace revenants from the Gush Etzion area went to Bethlehem on Wednesday under heavy 'Palestinian' security. There, they met with the local governor, and agreed to join in protests against the 'security fence' in nearby Walajeh on Friday.

The settlers, members of the Eretz Shalom ("land of peace") movement, arrived at the municipality's fourth floor under tight Palestinian security and met with senior Bethlehem officials for about an hour.

The settlers' two cars, which traveled on the West Bank city's streets in midday, were escorted by vehicles of the Palestinian intelligence services, some undercover.

In the governor's office, which overlooks Jerusalem and has the pictures of former Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on its walls, the three met with Hamayel, a former PA minister who was jailed in Israel for 18 years over his activity in Fatah.

"We came because we share the same future," said Nahum Pachenik, head of the pro-peace Eretz Shalom organization, which aims to "bolster the moderate forces among the settlers and Palestinians."

Pachenik, a resident of the Sde Boaz outpost in Gush Etzion, was accompanied by two rabbis from the area, who asked to relay a message to the Palestinians through the governor. "There is no other choice apart from peace that comes from the people," one of them said.

The current status quo is pretty peaceful and it comes from within the people.

But somehow, I doubt that's what they had in mind....

I could make some educated guesses about the rabbis... but I won't.

Hmmm.... Maybe they'd like to go to Gaza and meet with Hamas too.

Labels: Bethlehem, Eretz Shalom, Gush Etzion, security fence

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:05 AM