Defense Ministry Restricting Settlement Activity on West Bank

The Defense Ministry is tightening its restrictions an Gush Emunim groups encamped at military bases on the West Bank. Although the Ministry denied last night a report that all development work by the Gush has been suspended on the orders of Defense Minister Ezer Weizman, it is clear that the militant settlers have been placed under restraints.

The Ministry announced that a group at the Beth El military camp near Ramallah, consisting of about 30 families with children, were prevented from building new houses. The army said it needed the land for a firing range. The Gush were also notified that the army would no longer provide dining facilities for them nor would they be allowed to dine in the camp’s mess.

The settlers were given two days to make arrangements for their own cooking and dining. They are unable to do this now and food is being sent to them by another Gush group at Nebi Tzalah. All land development work has been halted at the latter site which is also in the Ramallah region. The Gush reacted angrily. Its leaders said yesterday that they would launch a new campaign of propaganda and demonstrations to protest the government’s policies.

REPORT BEGIN REJECTS SCHINDLER’S APPEAL

Meanwhile, Premier Menachem Begin was reported to have rejected an appeal by Rabbi Alexander Schindler, chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, to suspend settlement activity while political negotiations are in progress.

According to Yediot Achronot, Schindler cabled Begin over the weekend urging him to issue a statement freezing settlement activity in under to assure the success of his upcoming talks with President Carter in Washington. But Begin refused, claiming that the government could not contradict its own view that the settlements are not an obstacle to peace, Yediot reported. (In New York, Schindler was not available for comment. He was reported today to be out of town.)