Settlers let into W. Bank camps

Press, 4 October 1977, Page 8

Settlers let into W. Bank camps

NZPA-Reuter Tel Aviv I ! The Israeli Government has approved a plan for six new groups of Jewish settlers to move temporarily into army camps in the occupied iwest Bank of the Jordan during the next two months. The first group of settlers entered the Shomron (Samaria) army base on the road to Nablus, about 18km from the pre-1967 border (with Jordan, on Sunday after i the Cabinet gave its approval I for the move on Sunday morning. ■ The settlers will work! I inside the camp as civilians lin army service until the; (Government authorises a I (settlement site outside the J I base. The Government settlement plan was in response to two, attempts last week by the ultra-nationalist Gush Emu- ; nim (Faith Bloc) movement ■ to establish strongholds in • the West Bank. The settlers were removed on Wednesday

by the army. In order to avoid criticism from the United .States, the Government said the new settlements would, in the initial stages, be placed inside : existing army camps. Several dozen families who moved into the Shomron base intend to establish their permanent village near the biblical site of Sebastie where Gush Emunim made its first attempt to establish an illegal i settlement three years ago. The Gush — which has provided much of the politiIcal support for the Prime : Minister (Mr Menachem i Begin) — claims that Jews ■have a divine right to settle anywhere in Biblical Israel, j which included the West Bank. Although Mr Begin shares .this opinion, he is apparently aware of the difficulties that I unlimited settlement on occupied Arab land would cause when delicate moves towards Middle East peace I are under way.