Activists receive restraining orders

Right-wingers barred from W. Bank; evacuation expected to begin soon.

By JOSH BRANNON, JPOST STAFF
illegal outpost 88 (photo credit: )
illegal outpost 88
(photo credit: )
Judea-Samaria police gave out eight restraining orders overnight Sunday to right-wing activists in Yitzhar, Elon Moreh, and Karnei Shomron, forbidding them to stay anywhere in the West Bank except Ma'aleh Adumim in the coming months. The activists will be able to appeal the orders in another four days. While distributing the orders, police detained two settlers wanted for questioning and distributed another restraining order to a right-wing activist in Tiberias.
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The Defense Ministry has authorized restraining orders barring 13 right-wing extremists from entering West Bank outposts slated for evacuation, according to a Channel 2 report. The move is seen as a sign that the evacuation of four illegal outposts may begin in the next week. On May 17, Defense Minister Amir Peretz signed eviction orders for 12 illegal outposts in the West Bank and ordered the IDF to prepare an evacuation plan. Senior security officials have said that implementation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's realignment plan would be far more difficult and violent than last year's Gaza Strip. By restricting the movements of activists, security officials hope to minimize violence between settlers and security forces during evacuations. "Silencing people will not help the government. If they think dictatorship-like measures will stop the struggle, they are mistaken. The government is in panic," anti-withdrawal activist Itamar Ben-Gvir said in response to the report. Chairman of the Jewish Front Baruch Marzel said, "Amir Peretz is adding to the hate and polarization. Anti-democratic moves will bring about the spilling of blood, when mouths are shut the hands begin to work." Officials in the Defense Ministry were not available to comment at press time.