Settler leaders due to meet with Peretz on decision to raze W. Bank outposts.
By JPOST.COM STAFFillegal outpost 88(photo credit: )
Culture, Science and Sport Minister Ophir Paz-Pines on Sunday called for illegal outposts in the West Bank to be evacuated and dismantled immediately. "The government must evacuate the outposts and change the [current] situation, in which people take the law into their own hands," Pines said at the opening of a session of the ministerial committee on illegal outposts.
A number of settler leaders were present at the committee's meeting to protest against dismantling the outposts. The settlers were expected to continue their struggle in a meeting Sunday evening with Defense Minister Amir Peretz.
The settlers' arguments were countered by members of Peace Now, who demanded that the government dismantle the outposts as soon as possible.
On Friday, Justice Minister Haim Ramon called upon the settlers' leadership to accept Israeli sovereignty and evacuate the illegal outposts themselves.
Ramon's appeal to the settlers came a day after Defense Minister Amir Peretz ordered the security establishment to complete its preparations for the evacuation of illegal outposts in the West Bank within two weeks. He said that the outposts that exhibit violence towards security forces would be given the first priority for evacuation.
