Peace Now: New construction at outposts slated for evacuation

Source: Haaretz, 30-1-2007
Recent aerial photographs show new construction at four illegal West Bank outposts which have been slated for evacuation, the Peace Now movement said on Sunday.
Dror Etkes, Peace Now`s settlement monitoring coordinator, said the report is based on a comparison between aerial photographs taken in the last few days and those taken several months ago.
"The "Israeli" government is not capable today of fulfilling its commitments, even regarding six outposts," Etkes stated, adding that the state had told the High Court of Justice that the state had the right and indeed obligation to evacuate them.
"It`s difficult to imagine a better example that demonstrates the failure of the law-enforcement systems in the territories than that which has been revealed here before our eyes," Etkes added.
Two new structures have been discovered at the Givat Assaf outpost, and one new one has been established at Ramat Gilad, where existing buildings have also been expanded. One new structure has also been discovered at each of two additional outposts: Mitzpeh Lachish and Mitzpeh Yitzhar.
Emily Amrusi, a spokeswoman for the Yesha Council of settlements, said that for a group claiming to promote the advancement of peace, Peace Now is expending a great deal of energy on monitoring "the enclosure of a balcony or the expansion of a room in one or another Jewish community" ¬ while the country "faces unlimited existential and acute problems."
Defense Minister Amir Peretz had planned to meet with Yesha Council leaders several days ago to work out an agreement on nonviolent outpost evacuation. The meeting was canceled, however, after Yesha leaders informed him that they would not discuss the issue with him until he stopped preventing settlers from receiving basic necessities like school buildings.