Page 11 - ARUBA TODAY

A11
WORLD NEWS Saturday 10 december 2016

Facing evacuation, West Bank settlers remain defiant

TIA GOLDENBERG forces on the other. cusing it of ruling unfairly stay for a while. Wooden na was dropped from the
Associated Press In 2014, Israel’s Supreme against settlers. Netan- structures complete with draft bill after a coalition
AMONA, West Bank (AP) Court ordered Amona to yahu, himself a strong sup- flush toilets and a working partner refused to support
— Facing a court-ordered be evacuated, after it de- porter of the settlements, kitchen have popped up legislation that would vio-
evacuation, residents of termined the outpost was also is wary of being seen around the community, late the Supreme Court de-
the Jewish settlement out- built on private Palestinian as soft by the harder-line as have some two dozen cision.
post of Amona in the West land, giving the govern- settler allies who dominate greenhouses, meant to A revised bill, which re-
Bank are digging in for a ment until this Dec. 25 to his government. serve as sleeping areas ceived preliminary approv-
fight to the finish. Vowing al from Israel’s parliament
fierce but nonviolent resis- this week, is moving for-
tance, they have built shel- ward without Amona, leav-
ters, bathrooms and a large ing unsolved the fate of the
kitchen to host thousands outpost’s 300 residents.
of supporters they hope will The anti-settlement group
join them in their struggle to Peace Now estimates that
stay put. the bill would legalize some
With the Dec. 25 evacu- 4,000 homes in outposts
ation date approaching, and settlements across
Israel’s pro-settler govern- the West Bank. Palestinians
ment is scrambling to find who claim to own land that
a solution, fearing a repeat has been incorporated into
of the violent showdown a settlement would receive
between extremist settlers compensation under the
and Israeli security forces bill, which is expected to
that took place on this face tough legal challeng-
same wind-swept hilltop a es if it passes.
decade ago. Aside from the rogue out-
Residents are playing down posts, the West Bank is
any expectations of vio- home to an additional 120
lence, saying the arrival of settlements that Israel con-
supporters is meant as a siders legal.
show of strength. But they Jewish settler youths play basketball in Amona, an unauthorized Israeli outpost in the West Bank, The Palestinians and the
are hunkering down in east of the Palestinian town of Ramallah. Residents of the Amona settlement outpost in the West international community
hopes that a last-minute Bank are digging in for a fight to the finish despite an impending court-ordered evacuation. With consider both settlements
deal can still be struck that the Dec. 25 evacuation date approaching, Israel’s pro-settler government is scrambling to find a and outposts illegal or ille-
would thwart an evacua- solution, fearing a showdown between extremist settlers and security forces. gitimate and an obstacle
(AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)
tion. to the creation of a Pales-
“Amona must remain here tinian state. In a position
on the hill,” said Eli Green- tear down the outpost’s 50 “We are working overtime that can house thousands. that is widely backed inter-
berg, a community spokes- trailer homes. The outpost, to find a responsible solu- Greenberg, the spokes- nationally, the Palestinians
man who has lived in Amo- built in the 1990s, stretches tion to the issue of Amona man, said Israeli farmers want the West Bank, along
na since 2004. “Destroying out over a rugged, grassy and for similar cases in the have pledged to donate with the Gaza Strip and
Amona is bad for every- hilltop and looks out across future,” Netanyahu told his five tons of vegetables to east Jerusalem, for their
one. It’s unjust, it’s immoral, the valley onto Palestin- weekly Cabinet meeting feed incoming supporters. hoped-for state. Israel cap-
it’s good for nothing and it ian villages. Beyond the on Sunday. “We must act And in a last ditch attempt, tured those territories in the
can be easily prevented.” homes, the outpost has a responsibly and prudently the settlers have launched 1967 Mideast war.
Amona is the largest of synagogue and a basket- here for a common goal: a crowd-funding cam- The settlers in Amona are
about 100 unauthorized ball court and is speckled to defend settlements, and paign that has already hoping that their fate can
outposts — erected with- with vineyards. to defend the court.” raised nearly $80,000 “to still be linked to the settle-
out permission but gener- Amona’s plight has threat- Ahead of the looming establish a legal, explana- ment legalization bill. But
ally tolerated by the Israeli ened to tear apart Netan- evacuation, Amona has tory and practical defense, even with the evacuation
government — that dot the yahu’s coalition. been buzzing with activ- and to save our homes.” likely to move forward, at-
West Bank. The Israeli leader has been ity. About a dozen youths, Hoping to find a loophole tempts to relocate Amo-
The outpost became a forced to find a balance wearing skullcaps and long to the court ruling, the gov- na’s residents have hit
symbol of settler defiance between appeasing his set- side locks common for set- ernment has promoted a snags. A plan to move
after the partial evacua- tler constituents and main- tler hard-liners, meandered bill that would retroactively them to a nearby plot of
tion a decade ago sparked taining the integrity of Isra- around the hilltop on a re- legalize Amona as well as land appears to have been
violent clashes between el’s Supreme Court, which cent day. Some carried thousands of other homes thwarted after Palestinians
residents and allied activ- often comes under attack large backpacks, indicat- built on privately-owned objected, saying they own
ists on one side and security by hard-line legislators ac- ing they were planning to Palestinian land. But Amo- the property.q