MIDDLE EAST: PROTEST AGAINST EVACUATION OF W. BANK SETTLERS

(18 Oct 1999) English/Nat Thousands of Israeli demonstrators shouted slogans outside the residence of the Prime Minister, Ehud Barak, on Sunday, in protest at his decision to evacuate twelve Jewish settlements in the West Bank. In the largest right-wing demonstration since Barak took office in May, the settlers angrily accused their premier of mounting an ethnic cleansing operation to chase Jews out of areas which they claim as their homeland. Barak announced plans to uproot the 12 illegal settlements earlier this week as part of his efforts to revive the peace process with the Palestinians. The settlements are due to be cleared in two weeks, but many settlers have stated defiantly that they will not give up without a fight. For the past five months Israel's Prime Minister, Ehud Barak, appeared to have managed to pacify the country's sizeable right wing, but on Sunday thousands of settlers took to the streets to protest against Barak's policies. A crowd of four thousand gathered outside the premier's residence for the demonstration, which was prompted by Barak's announcement that 12 illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank would be removed. The move was announced in an attempt to revive the Arab-Israeli peace talks. The mainly ultra-Orthodox settlers held up banners and shouted slogans, accusing Barak of chasing Jews out of what they see as their homeland. Some of their chanting was countered by peace protestors who turned out for their own protest in favour of the peace process. The plan to remove the 12 recently established settlements was a compromise deal reached between Barak and settler leaders. The programme had originally targetted 42 settlements for removal, on the advice of Israeli peace activists. Palestinian negotiators had called for all 144 established Jewish settlements to be evacuated. But many settlers are opposed to the very principle of settlements being dismantled and are refusing to give up what they see as their rightful homes. Many at Sunday's protest were outspoken in their criticism of the plan. SOUNDBITE: (English) "That agreement is an immoral and illegal agreement. It is an agreement to ethnically cleanse Jews from our homeland." SUPER CAPTION: Ruth Matar, Demonstrator However, the decision to close the 12 settlements came hot on the heels of an Israeli government announcement to build thousands of new homes in four Jewish settlements in Arab areas around Jerusalem. And whilst some settlements are scheduled to come down, others which went up without government approval are now being given official state recognition - a decision which has caused an uproar amongst the Palestinian negotiating team and poses a new threat to the peace process. SOUNDBITE: (English) "We think the measures that were taken by this government to legitimise 35 new settlements is a step that will lead us all into a deadlock and will lead the process to be freezed once again and will create an atmosphere of confrontation." SUPER CAPTION: Yasser Abed Rabbo, Palestinian Chief negotiator Barak says he expects the 12 settlements to be evacuated within two weeks. But he will have a fight on his hands, as right wing religious leaders have called on settlers to offer resistance. Aside from the sites scheduled for demolition, 30 more Jewish settlements have been set up without government approval on land claimed by the Palestinians for a future state and these are set to remain in place. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...