Israel Matzav

IDF bars Jews from Homesh ghost town

The IDF has announced that it will bar the traditional pilgrimage of Jews to the ghost town of Homesh in northern Samaria (the picture at the top is a view from the town, and yes that's the Hadera power plant and the Mediterranean Sea in the background). The Jews of Homesh were expelled from their homes by Ariel Sharon in 2005 in order to convince the 'Palestinians' that Israel wasn't only willing to sacrifice Gaza on the altar of a 'Palestinian state.' Every year since 2006, Jews have returned to Homesh on Passover to express their desire to return to live in the site.

The army ban comes on the heels of growing tensions between the military and the religiously devout portion of the Israeli settler community following the violent clashes in Yitzhar which left a number of Border Policemen injured.

Before dawn Tuesday, security forces entered the settlement to carry out demolition orders against homes that were built illegally. During the operation, settlers attacked police and destroyed an army post.

...

The army’s decision to deny access to Homesh during Passover was met with criticism by the religious Zionist camp. Orit Struck, a member of Knesset from the pro-settler Bayit Yehudi faction, said the move amounted to “collective punishment against a large constituency.”

“I call on the defense minister to order that the event be permitted to proceed as planned and to act against lawbreakers with means and norms that befit a state of law and that do not include collective punishment,” Struck said.

 For those of you who voted for the Jewish Home party, they seem real effective, don't they?

Labels: Gaza expulsion, IDF, Samaria

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:23 AM