The Open Hunting “Saison” 2008??

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Commentary;

It is reported that the IDF has been collecting military-issued weapons in possession of residents of Binyamin region in Yesha, “including weapons that were in the possession of IDF officers.”

About this, Dr. Aaron Lerner of IMRA wrote the following;

In the next days we will know if this move is the action of some low level person in the IDF or a cynical move being directed from the Olmert team to turn the screws on the settlers to help make their lives more miserable in the hopes that they will get the message and start packing.

If it is a low level person then after some mumbling the program will be dropped. If it isn’t then it will require the intervention of Shas.

There is, of course, the more cynical – though very realistic – scenario:

Just as checkpoints are periodically dropped until some Israelis are murdered to please Washington, settlers can be disarmed until a few are murdered to please America.

The second possibility which Dr. Lerner poses, rather than the first or third, for why these weapons have been seized seems far more plausible than the first and bears repeating;

A cynical move being directed from the Olmert team to turn the screws on the settlers to help make their lives more miserable in the hopes that they will get the message and start packing.

In other words, stripping Yesha residents of their right and ability to defend themselves in the hopes that they will turn tail and flee from danger.

Meanwhile, deafening silence from the Shas party, the shallow, external appearing “religious” party, totally lacking ANY Jewish principles or values, whose Communications Minister Ariel Attias said;

Shas “was not created for the outposts or for the settlements,” and would not leave the government to protect them.”

It is evident that the Shas party cares ONLY about the enrichment of the Shas party and its related institutions. When will their exploited constituency, many of whom live in Yehuda and the Shomron, realize this. MB

IDF Collecting Settlers’ Weapons, by Yaakov Katz (Jerusalem Post)

Full Text;

In recent weeks the IDF has been collecting hundreds of military-issued weapons in the Binyamin region in the West Bank, including weapons that were in the possession of IDF officers.

According to reports Tuesday, the only people who were given leave to keep their weapons were rapid response teams and those charged with maintaining security in the settlements.

“This is a severe blow to the security of those driving on roads in the territories, especially following the removal of roadblocks and the delivery of weapons to the Palestinian Authority,” a reserve officer who lives in the West Bank told Israel Radio.

In a recent meeting with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayad, Defense Minister Ehud Barak discussed a list of goodwill gestures he planned to approve for the Palestinians, including the deployment of 600 PA security personnel currently being trained in Jordan to Jenin.

Members of the Palestinian police have been implicated in recent shooting attacks in the West Bank which killed Ido Zoldan, Ahikam Amihai and David Rubin.

“The weapons were collected for maintenance reasons and are intended to stay in the IDF’s hands except for in emergency cases,” the army said in response. “There are still weapons in the hands of rapid response teams and those who are licensed to carry arms.”

“If need be, weapons will be distributed to graduates of combat units,” the army added.