Israeli court rejects petitions against Gaza Strip pullout

JERUSALEM – The Israeli government told settlers to face up to the reality of their evacuation from the Gaza Strip after the supreme court yesterday rejected petitions contesting the legality of this summer’s pullout.

Ten of the 11 judges rejected the cases against the evacuation compensation law under which all 8 000 Gaza settlers, as well as the residents of four small Jewish enclaves in the northern West Bank, will be uprooted this summer. The petitions were brought by hundreds of settlers, as well as the owners of businesses in an industrial zone straddling the border between Israel and Gaza which also faces closure.In its judgement, the panel determined that the occupied territories are not part of the state of Israel and that the legal procedures of the state of Israel therefore do not apply.The court said the levels of compensation were “adequate” but ordered that the minimum age for settlers to receive compensation be lowered from 21 to 18.Each family to be evacuated currently qualifies for between US$200 000 and US$400 000 compensation depending on how long they have lived in the settlements, the size of their homes and the number of children.Yesterday’s widely expected decision removes yet another possible hurdle to the pullout which is due to start in mid-August.Justice Minister Tzippi Livni said the ruling had lifted a cloud of uncertainty and would make settlers realise that the evacuation was a reality they could not ignore.”I hope that from the perspective of the lone settler, it will create for him sufficient certainty in order for him truly to understand that the process is on its way,” she said.Yoram Sheftel, an attorney for the settlers, said he was not surprised by the court ruling.”We didn’t expect anything from this court since the petitioners are Jews and patriots,” Sheftel was quoted as saying by the Ha’aretz newspaper’s website.”This was fully expected.There’s no surprise.I’m not disappointed because we didn’t have any expectations.”But the council representing Gush Katif, the largest Jewish settlement bloc in Gaza, slammed what it called the court’s “discrimination”.”This pitiful judgement was handed down without the judges coming to Gush Katif and getting a balanced view,” said a statement.”The blatant discrimination from the court can only strengthen the struggle on the ground (against the pullout),” it added, charging that the judgement was influenced by the political opinions of most of the judges.Most settlers living in Gaza, bolstered by the extreme right-wing and rebels in Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s ruling Likud party, say they are determined to resist the withdrawal until the last possible moment.- Nampa-AFPThe petitions were brought by hundreds of settlers, as well as the owners of businesses in an industrial zone straddling the border between Israel and Gaza which also faces closure.In its judgement, the panel determined that the occupied territories are not part of the state of Israel and that the legal procedures of the state of Israel therefore do not apply.The court said the levels of compensation were “adequate” but ordered that the minimum age for settlers to receive compensation be lowered from 21 to 18.Each family to be evacuated currently qualifies for between US$200 000 and US$400 000 compensation depending on how long they have lived in the settlements, the size of their homes and the number of children.Yesterday’s widely expected decision removes yet another possible hurdle to the pullout which is due to start in mid-August.Justice Minister Tzippi Livni said the ruling had lifted a cloud of uncertainty and would make settlers realise that the evacuation was a reality they could not ignore.”I hope that from the perspective of the lone settler, it will create for him sufficient certainty in order for him truly to understand that the process is on its way,” she said.Yoram Sheftel, an attorney for the settlers, said he was not surprised by the court ruling.”We didn’t expect anything from this court since the petitioners are Jews and patriots,” Sheftel was quoted as saying by the Ha’aretz newspaper’s website.”This was fully expected.There’s no surprise.I’m not disappointed because we didn’t have any expectations.”But the council representing Gush Katif, the largest Jewish settlement bloc in Gaza, slammed what it called the court’s “discrimination”.”This pitiful judgement was handed down without the judges coming to Gush Katif and getting a balanced view,” said a statement.”The blatant discrimination from the court can only strengthen the struggle on the ground (against the pullout),” it added, charging that the judgement was influenced by the political opinions of most of the judges.Most settlers living in Gaza, bolstered by the extreme right-wing and rebels in Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s ruling Likud party, say they are determined to resist the withdrawal until the last possible moment.- Nampa-AFP