MacVicar: Two tents in seven hours
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Sheila MacVicar
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VIDEO
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CNN's Sheila Macvicar reports on the dismantling of one Jewish outpost, as settlers clash with Israeli troops (June 19)
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SPECIAL REPORT
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JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israel is pushing forward with its plans, articulated by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, to further the "road map" to peace by removing some Israeli settlements on the West Bank. Thursday, those efforts angered settlers. CNN correspondent Sheila MacVicar spoke with anchor Wolf Blitzer on the latest in the Mideast.
BLITZER: There was an angry confrontation today involving Israeli soldiers and Israeli settlers on the West Bank, something rather unusual. Our Sheila MacVicar was there, she was witnessing what was going on ... what exactly is going on?
MACVICAR: Prime Minister [Ariel] Sharon has taken a political decision. He has said there are 12 [of] what he calls illegal outposts out there. Now there are very many more than just 12, but there are 12 which must be dismantled.
In this case, we're talking about a hilltop, a kilometer, 2 kilometers away from the original settlement, and we're talking about tents. The soldiers -- dozens of them, dozens of Israeli police there from 10:00 this morning -- took seven hours to bring down two tents. [There were] confrontations, scuffles -- the settlers had planned for the arrival of the military, they knew that the military was coming. The settlers' council [says] they do not accept what Prime Minister Sharon has said and they'll resist.
You can see how many times this scene may be repeated ... as they try to deal with the 12 developments, plus the settlers say, "Take down these tents and we put them back tonight."
There were injuries as well. The treatment got pretty rough at times. There was a lot of scuffling, no relationships, there [were] paint bombs, there was nonviolent confrontation. It was very much in your face, full, and it was very difficult. As I said, think about this scene being replayed over and over again ... .
