(9 Nov 1999) English/Nat
Armed with sleeping bags, cement and tyres for burning, young Jewish settlers have fortified Havat Maon, an isolated hilltop in the southern West Bank.
It's targeted for evacuation this week by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak.
They have come from all over, determined to force Barak into a confrontation with Israeli settlers in Palestinian-controlled lands.
Barak, who has kept an election promise to revive the peace process, is now in a bind.
He needs to show the Palestinians he is serious about dismantling rogue West Bank settlements on land they
claim, such as Havat Maon.
But he dreads the instability that confrontation with the settlers could bring.
Mainstream settlers, who also want to avoid the painful scenes a forced evacuation by soldiers would bring.
They worked out a deal last month to evacuate 12 out of 42 recently established unauthorised settlements themselves.
But a younger, radical generation of settlers is defying their leadership.
Meanwhile, Israeli Transportation Minister Yitzhak Mordechai toured the safe passage terminal of Tarqumia.
Mordechai, the minister in charge of the safe passage, spoke to Palestinian citizens passing through.
He told reporters that he was impressed with the passage, and happy with the fact that Palestinians can now visit
each other in Gaza and the West Bank.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"My feeling is that it's working very well, and the idea that people can move and visit their families".
Question: Without any problems
"Yes, without any problems."
SUPER CAPTION:Yitzhak Mordechai, Israeli Transportation Minister
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
