Gabbal Posted September 11, 2004 Settlers warn of potential Israeli civil war Last Updated Fri, 10 Sep 2004 12:19:29 JERUSALEM - Jewish settlers vowing to resist the planned evacuation of their West Bank and Gaza Strip settlements are warning of a potential "civil war." A petition signed by 185 prominent right-wing hardline Israelis calls the pullout a "crime against humanity" and urged security forces to disobey orders to evacuate settlements. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon plans to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and four isolated West Bank settlements in 2005. There are 8,000 Jewish settlers living in Gaza. "Two things could happen if this program goes ahead without being brought to democratic elections in Israel," Eliezer Hasdai, head of a regional settlement council, told Israel Radio. "The first is a mass refusal [to evacuate] among soldiers and officers in the army," he said. "The other is definitely a type of civil war." Settler leaders said Friday that Sharon does not have a mandate to carry out the withdrawal of the settlements. "I am worried about a civil war, and am warning that the comments we have heard in recent days will have very serious consequences," Justice Minister Yosef (Tommy) Lapid said Friday. Lapid warned that if the settlers rebel and incite violence, "they will be brought to justice like any and all criminals." Written by CBC News Online staff Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
