Israeli settlers protest govt's Gaza disengagement plan

(14 Oct 2004) SHOTLIST 1. Pan of demonstration with settlers holding flags 2. Various of demonstrators dancing and chanting 3. Wide of Paris Square demonstration 4. Screen, pull out to man holding child 5. Demonstrators with placards, saying "Sharon, Destroy Terrorism, Not Israel!" 6. Settlers with placards 7. SOUNDBITE (English) Marilyn Klein, demonstrator from New York: "From all over the country, and they're saying a very important message and the message is, we shall not, cannot and will not return Gush Katif (settlement). It is a part of Israel and we all have to understand and respect the tremendous gift that God gave us and it is not for us to return this gift, God forbid." 8. Man holding child pan down to weapon he is carrying 9. Various of settlers praying 10. SOUNDBITE (English) Josh Hasten, Yesha settlement spokesman: "We hope that with demonstrations like this, the Prime Minister (Ariel Sharon) and the ministers of the government will understand that the majority of Israelis understand that the disengagement plan will only worsen the security situation. It's not going to improve things. It's going to make things worse. It's going to put more Israelis in the line of fire, and we call on the Prime Minister to take his disengagement plan to a national referendum or call for early elections. This is a democracy and we call on him to use the tools of the democracy in order to get his plan passed. We're optimistic that the plan won't get passed and the residents of Gush Katif will remain in their homes." 11. Various of settlers with torches near Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's office 12. Settler praying 13. Various of settler demonstration STORYLINE: Jewish settlers demonstrated across Israel and Jerusalem on Thursday evening against Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan. Sharon said on Thursday that Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip will be removed from their homes by next summer, and that in the meantime, the army will broaden a major military offensive in the crowded territory. Demonstrators in Paris Square, Jerusalem carried placards protesting the disengagement plan, and one protestor said he wants Sharon to take the plan to a national referendum or call for early elections. Sharon's plan includes the evacuation of all 21 Jewish settlements in Gaza and four in the West Bank. Opponents have been trying to block the planned evacuation of 8,200 Jewish settlers, who live among 1.3 million (m) Palestinians in the crowded coastal territory. The latest Israeli offensive began on September 29, triggered by a Palestinian rocket attack on an Israeli town that killed two small children. 105 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli army fire in the offensive, about half of them civilians, including 18 under the age of 16. 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...