Soldiers and police stopped thousands of Gaza withdrawal opponents marching this evening in defiance of a police ban, determined to reach nearby Jewish settlements and stop Israel’s pullout next month, the biggest test yet for security forces.
After a two-hour standoff, settlers said they reached an agreement with security forces to spend the night in Kfar Maimon, a village just three kilometres from their starting point and 20 kilometres away from their goal, the main crossing point into the Gaza settlements. Settlers pledged to push on toward Gaza in the morning.
About 20,000 police and soldiers were deployed in southern Israel to block the marchers, who started out after a rally in the town of Netivot. In an unprecedented step, police fanned out across the country and prevented protesters from boarding buses that were to take them to the demonstration. Angry organizers called on their backers to get there somehow, and dozens started walking toward Gaza from Jerusalem, more than 100 kilometres away.
One does not deploy 20,000 police officers for a mere crowd of 'thousands' and from all of the accounts that I have read in the Israeli papers; the Toronto Star’s numbers of Israeli police forces deployed was nearly double all other reports. So much for Associated Press.
The Israel National News carried this report:
After negotiations between police and Judea, Samaria and Gaza Council leaders, some 40,000 people were permitted to spend the night in tents on the outskirts of Kfar Maimon, a small moshav (agricultural village) south of Netivot. This morning, large police forces were deployed around the "tent city", leading to speculation that the protestors were to be forcibly dispersed. However, after a time, the forces were pulled back and police agreed to let the marchers enter Kfar Maimon, as negotiations between protest organizers and police continue.
Police commanders have indicated they will not permit large numbers of people to reach Kissufim Crossing, preferring to keep the confrontation away from the gateway to Gush Katif. Negotiations conducted during the night between police and Judea, Samaria and Gaza Council leaders ended without reaching an agreement.
The march is set to resume late this afternoon, while the hottest hours of the day today are to be used for activities for children and adults in Kfar Maimon, as was planned by event organizers.
Haaretz puts the number closer to 50,000 and growing:
Israel's police early Tuesday were placed on a rare "state of emergency alert," their highest alert status. The tens of thousands of demonstrators camped in Kfar Maimon meanwhile rested ahead of the evening. Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra said Tuesday that "The issue that most concerns us, is that we see to it that no one will reach Gush Katif. That is the goal."
Police have mobilizes all of their forces, with officers returning from leaves and working longer shifts, to cover duties nationwide as more than 10,000 police and troops seek to prevent as many as 50,000 demonstrators from breaking through roadblocks.
It would be prudent to remember that Ariel Sharon and his Lukid party won re-election by directly campaigning against Labour’s platform of disengaging from Gaza. Israeli voters, when given this opportunity, rejected Labour’s disengagement platform. It was a shock to many when Sharon sought to implement the disengagement plan and he has refused all entreaties to hold a referendum on this issue since. This is fractioning Israeli society in a way that terrorism never has and will have consequences far beyond the immediate future.
Already the Israeli Defense Forces is feeling the pain and division is growing within their ranks. This Ynet Online article illustrates the most recent report on the growing attrition of insubordination that is now plaguing the IDF:
A wave of military insubordination continued Saturday night, as 12 soldiers were arrested for refusing to participate in closing a Gaza Strip border crossing and stop hundreds of settlers who arrive to try and break a closure the IDF imposed on the territory ahead of Israel's pullout in August. Eight people were injured during clashes between security forces and some 400 settlers at the Kissufim crossing, including a police officer and IDF soldier.
Forces arrested 12 troops who refused to help disperse the crowd. Three apologized later. IDF sources say most of the insubordinate soldiers are graduates of hesder yeshivas. Army Chief Dan Halutz later disbanded the 120-member company the soldiers belongs to and said the group would be tried in a military court for their insubordination.
The incident marked the latest in a series of occurances where soldiers have refused orders to take part in operations regarding Israel's planned pullout from Gaza, set for August. A Border Police officer who refused to help security forces contain an anti-Gaza pullout protest was sentenced Thursday to a week in incarceration
Insubordination continues to plague the IDF while the rockets continue to fall inside Gaza. This marks the fifth day that Gaza remains under fire from Arab Palestinians terrorist groups.
A poll reported by the Israel National News puts support nationwide for the disengagement from Gaza at approximately 52.% well within the margin of error.It should be noted that the poll was conducted before the suicide bombing in Netanya or the recent bombardment in Gaza. Support could well have fallen even lower since the attacks began. The Israel National News is reporting that that a IDF battalion commander has advised his men that if the protestors reach the Kissumfin Crossing into Gaza then the army has failed its "litmus test".
Furthermore, if an attack comes against the protestors from one or more terrorist organizations operating inside Gaza or the West Bank, expect a significant drop in public support for disengagement. If Israeli’s watching the evening news view images of IDF using force to disperse the protestors (who have a significant number of woman and children among them) - the divide will grow into chasm few will be able to cross. Certainly, for Ariel Sharon, it will be the orange tide that washes him from power.
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