ISRAELI SECURITY forces yesterday destroyed two illegal outposts set up by Jewish settlers close to the West Bank city of Hebron.
The action was a further indication that the government headed by prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu intends to act against the unauthorised hilltop communities while at the same time defending the right to build in the larger established settlements in order to accommodate “natural growth”.
There was no resistance from the small number of settlers at the two outposts as the security forces arrived in the pre-dawn raids yesterday. But, within hours the border police units were forced to return to one of the hilltops to destroy new structures erected by the militant Jewish residents.
Another outpost was bulldozed last week near the city of Ramallah. Israel has committed to removing 26 outposts populated by more than 1,000 settlers.
The new policy adopted by the Israeli government follows last week’s talks at the White House between US president Barack Obama and Mr Netanyahu during which the president made clear his opposition to all settlement construction.
Israeli and US officials held talks this week in London in an effort to reach a compromise on the issue. Israel hopes that the crackdown against the outposts, along with a commitment not to build new settlements, will ease the pressure from Washington. However, US secretary of state Hilary Clinton clarified last week that the construction freeze envisaged by the Obama administration covers all West Bank settlements.
In an effort to appease his own right-wing Likud party , prime minister Netanyahu explained to a meeting of his parliamentary faction earlier this week that Israel’s top priority is to stop Iran’s nuclear drive, and removing outposts will make it easier to work with Washington to stop Tehran obtaining a nuclear bomb.
Right-wing opposition Knesset member Michael Ben Ari, from the National Union party, accused the government of betraying the voters who put them in power only a few months ago.
“Netanyahu and defence minister Ehud Barak continue to sow destruction in the settlement movement while showing blatant scorn for the Likud members who voted for Bibi and (foreign minister Avigdor) Lieberman and were rewarded with the uprooting of outposts.”