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August 17, 2009

Israeli Ministers Pay Solidarity Visit to Settlements
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Hardliners tour West Bank settlements in direct challenge to Netanyahu 
 Israel's leader is coming under growing pressure from hardliners in his
coalition to reject American demands for a halt to settlement expansion.
Jewish settlers and Ultra Orthodox Jewish men pray to support Israeli
settlements in the West Bank (File)A delegation of four hawkish Israeli
Cabinet ministers toured controversial settlement outposts in the West
Bank Monday in solidarity with Jewish residents there. It was a direct
challenge to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to
dismantle about two dozen outposts in response to pressure from the
United States. Washington has demanded a complete freeze on settlement
expansion, saying Israel is creating facts on the ground on territory
the Palestinians seek for a future state. There are about 100 outposts
in the West Bank, most of them consisting of makeshift structures and
trailer homes. Residents are young, religious settlers, who seek to
expand the Jewish presence in all the biblical Land of Israel. Mr.
Netanyahu!
  has declared the outposts illegal, but the Cabinet delegation denied
that, saying they are legitimate because previous Israeli governments
had approved them. Cabinet Minister Yuli Edelstein of Mr. Netanyahu's
Likud party noted that Israel just marked the fourth anniversary of the
withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, where 21 Jewish settlements were
dismantled and 8,000 settlers evacuated. He said there should be no
further evacuations because, when Israel pulled out, the Islamic
militant group Hamas took over."We removed all the settlements out of
the Gaza Strip. We have a terrorist entity there, shooting rockets at
the Israeli civilians. The whole area is insecure," Edelstein said.
While Mr. Netanyahu supports the settlements ideologically, he is
prepared for concessions because he wants to heal a growing rift with
Washington. Edelstein is hoping that Israel and the U.S. can find common
ground."There are misunderstandings, there are disagreements on certain
issues; and at the same time, we always have to keep in mind that it's
still possible to b
ridge the gaps," said Edelstein. But bridging the gaps won't be easy as
long as Mr. Netanyahu's nationalist coalition partners try to tie his
hands and prevent any significant action against the settlements. 


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