Settlers: Budget cuts will leave many settlements unguarded

By TOVAH LAZAROFF
Published: APRIL 7, 2009 21:10
IDF budget cuts will leave "a large number" of settlements unguarded," warned Dani Dayan who heads the Yesha Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria. He said he received a phone call on Thursday from the IDF informing him of drastic cuts in the number of soldiers guarding the settlements within a few weeks. "The cuts will leave quite a large number of settlements without any military presence," said Dayan. He added that this was just the latest cut that impacts the settler's security. This cut is happening just as the danger of Palestinian attacks is increasing and the number of checkpoints are being reduced, he said. "This makes for a very dangerous and volatile situation," said Dayan. He sent an urgent letter to Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi and asked him to freeze the cuts.