Netanyahu Condemns Jewish Settlers in East Jerusalem, Hints at Eviction

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday denounced Jewish settlers who took up residence in two buildings in East Jerusalem, hinting that his government may, on grounds of public safety, evict the three families who moved into the Palestinian neighborhood under cover of night.

The action by the settlers, who spent Monday making themselves at home in their new surroundings, met with immediate condemnation from Palestinian leaders and peace activists, who called the move into the Ras al Amud neighborhood on Sunday a provocation at a time of escalating political tensions.

It also has thrust Netanyahu into an unfamiliar role. By criticizing the settlers, he has split his own Cabinet and angered many of the right-wing and religious Jews who helped bring him to power. But it is still unclear whether he will take the next step and order the 11-member group evicted.

“We believe that what is happening right now in Ras al Amud is not good for Jerusalem, it’s not good for the state of Israel,” Netanyahu told a meeting of American Jewish fund-raisers in Jerusalem on Monday. The government should not be “maneuvered” into making decisions on such sensitive issues, he added.

Netanyahu said the government will “do what we think is right” and act within the law “to steer events according to our view on how Jerusalem should be developed.” He did not specify what actions might be taken, but aides said Netanyahu was seeking legal advice on whether he could justify an eviction of the settlers based on security considerations.

The settlers’ sudden move into Ras al Amud came on the heels of a three-day visit here by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who appealed to Israel for a “timeout” from unilateral actions, including the expansion of Jewish settlements on occupied land. The Netanyahu government rejected the call.

Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians broke down in March after Netanyahu ordered construction to begin on a 6,500-unit Jewish housing complex in southeastern Jerusalem. Palestinians say the project must stop before peace talks can resume, but Israel says it has a right to build anywhere in Jerusalem.

Nonetheless, the Netanyahu government on Monday continued to oppose a controversial plan by Miami entrepreneur Irving Moskowitz to build about 65 apartments for Jews on a 3 1/2-acre plot in heavily populated Ras al Amud. Moskowitz has donated millions of dollars to support Jewish settlement in contested areas of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

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Ronn Torossian, a spokesman for the new settlers, said Moskowitz was also behind the purchase of the two buildings at issue Monday. Torossian, a recent American immigrant, said the Miami millionaire had purchased the structures, a two-story house and a smaller, half-finished building, from Arab residents of the area and leased them to the Jewish families.

“We want to show that Jews can live in all parts of Jerusalem,” said Torossian, who wore a sign on his chest that read “Jerusalem is Ours” in Hebrew. He said he belongs to a group of the same name.

Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of a future state for their people.

Inside the walled compound--guarded by scores of Israeli police, soldiers and border guards--the settler families and supporters made sandwiches and arranged furniture in their new home. Outside the two-story building, festooned with Israeli flags, members of the Israeli lobbying group Peace Now demonstrated and erected a protest tent on an adjoining lot.

From the house he owns nearby, Ali Hamdallah, 40, a Palestinian truck driver, looked at the settlers with a mixture of frustration and resignation. “There’s nothing we can do,” he said. “They have the police, the laws and the power.”

Faisal Husseini, the top Palestinian official in Jerusalem, described the situation as very dangerous and said the settlers appeared to be taking steps that could affect future talks on the city’s status.

The Israeli military seemed to agree. Military sources quoted Monday on Israeli television and radio broadcasts issued dire warnings that the crisis with the Palestinians could gradually worsen to a state of “guerrilla war” in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and increased terrorist attacks inside Israel.

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The military also believes that the settlers’ actions could make it more difficult for Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat to be seen as cooperating with Israel.

The latest trouble came just as Israel and the Palestinians appeared to be making slight headway toward improved security cooperation. Israeli and U.S. officials had said the Palestinians, prodded by Albright, were drafting a plan to crack down on Islamic militants. In turn, Israel on Monday began to release more than $35 million in tax revenues withheld from the Palestinian Authority since twin suicide bombings July 30. The Israelis also lifted travel bans.