As Defense Minister Ehud Barak announces plans to eliminate over 20 unauthorized outposts in Yehuda and Shomron, residents of those areas vow to step-up efforts to rebuild any outpost that is dismantled, as was done last Thursday in Maoz Esther. Just hours after authorities destroyed the buildings in the Shomron community located near Kochav HaShachar, activists returned and began rebuilding, vowing to continue doing so if necessary.

The new plan entails preparing construction materials in a number of areas, having them on standvy to facilitate rebuilding where needed, promising the renewed outposts would be larger than the ones dismantled under Barak’s orders.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who lives in El-David (Nokdim – eastern Gush Etzion) and Minister Yuli Edelstein (Alon Shvut – Gush Etzion) both objected to Barak’s decision to dismantle Maoz Esther and declare war on outposts without the cabinet taking a vote on the matter. The cabinet did not vote on the outpost issue in Sunday’s weekly meeting.

Likud MK Yisrael Katz called to stop the “witch hunt” against settlers in Yehuda and Shomron, and Likud Minister Dr. Binyamin Begin concurred.

Bayit HaYehudi leader Rabbi Dr. Daniel Hershkowitz and Shas leader Minister Eli Yishai also opposed the actions of Barak, stating such a move violates coalition agreements, with Yishai equating the dismantling of outposts with exile.

In the meantime, Barak has announced he is determined to remove over 20 additional outposts, seemingly undeterred by the criticism from fellow cabinet ministers.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)