Hundreds head to Amona outpost to oppose evacuation

At least one thousand people gathered in Amona on Saturday night in a show of support for the illegal West Bank outpost as the court-ordered December 25 deadline for its evacuation neared.

Among the supporters were dozens connected to the far-right “hilltop youth” movement, who turned up with tires and rocks to block the access road to the outpost, as well as spikes to slow down military vehicles, Channel 2 reported. The tires on a van belonging to Channel 1 television were slashed Saturday night, despite a vow by the majority of the outpost residents to use only non-violent resistance to the evacuation, which they termed “a passive struggle.”

A more convivial atmosphere could be felt among the protesters themselves, as they distributed soup and hot drinks to one another on the cold winter night.

Earlier, as the sun went down and Shabbat ended, large numbers of Israel Defense Forces soldiers gathered at a nearby outpost, preparing to handle any resistance to the evacuation.

The Srugim website, affiliated with the nationalist-religious community to which Amona’s residents belong, reported that infantry soldiers from the Givati Brigade were bused to the nearby outpost of Giv’at Asaf. The website quoted Amona resident Rabbi Giora Brenner as saying that dozens of troops arrived in two buses and six or seven military vehicles. Brenner called it unprecedented in the 15 years he has lived in the outpost.

Security forces have been training in recent weeks for the removal of the outpost, which is built on privately owned Palestinian land. Channel 2 television said Saturday that police are preparing for widespread arrests during the evacuation. The Israel Prisons Service was emptying entire wings in four jails in preparation for accepting the detainees.

While a time has not been finalized for the evacuation, the state has said it will not take place during nighttime hours or without advance notice, due to the presence of women and children at the site, Channel 2 said.

The Amona settlers this week rejected a compromise proposed by the state to relocate them to adjacent land on the same hill.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday posted a video on his Facebook page in which he addressed the residents of Amona, calling on them not to fight the imminent evacuation. The settlers have threatened non-violent resistance, but some have warned that they will not able to control all who come to help them resist.

He called on Amona residents to act responsibly, and “not to harm IDF soldiers and security forces under any circumstances. They are our sons, the apples of our eye, they are dear to all of us and keep all of us safe. There is no place for violence.”

Opposition leader Isaac Herzog also called Saturday for the outpost residents and their supporters to refrain from attacking the security forces. But he also struck a less conciliatory note, saying that Zionism was not “a land grab.”

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, meanwhile, warned earlier this week that there would be zero tolerance for any attacks on members of the security forces.