Two outposts evacuated near Kiryat Arba

Security forces encounter no resistance in removing tent from Federman Farm, 2 huts from Givat Avichai.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
federman farm ruins 248 88 (photo credit: AP [file])
federman farm ruins 248 88
(photo credit: AP [file])
Security forces evacuated two unauthorized outposts in Kiryat Arba, near the West Bank city of Hebron, on Tuesday night. One, the Federman Farm, had been demolished a year ago, but recently the family of right-wing activist Noam Federman began slowly returning to the site. Tuesday night, police were surprised to find only a tent full of equipment. The five youths who were at Givat Avichai, also known as Hill 18, when the security forces arrived, did not resist the evacuation and confiscation of two makeshift huts and electricity equipment. MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) slammed the move, saying, "Today it is becoming apparent that the Netanyahu government is more dangerous to the settlement movement than Tzipi Livni. [Prime Minister Binyamin] Netanyahu and [Defense Minister Ehud] Barak continue to sow destruction in the settlement movement while showing blatant scorn for the Likud members who voted for Bibi and Lieberman and were rewarded with the uprooting of outposts." On Tuesday, six days after his return from Washington, Netanyahu dispatched a team of confidants to London for talks with US Middle East envoy George Mitchell. Discussions are expected to focus on Iran and a looming clash over settlement construction. One senior government official said Jerusalem felt that if it made it clear to the Americans that it would remove outposts, not build new settlements, not expropriate any Palestinian land, and not give incentives to people to live in the settlements, then the Obama administration would not pressure Israel to stop building beyond the Green Line for purposes of natural growth. Herb Keinon contributed to this report.