Elon Moreh Settlers Vote to Stay Put

The prospects for a peaceful evacuation of Elon Moreh dimmed today when the settlers voted in defiance of both the government and their own Gush Emunim leadership, not to leave voluntarily when the time limit for their departure lapses less than a month from now.

After a protracted debate that lasted all night, the 27 families and several single males who comprise the settlement vowed to remain unless a low is passed that would prevent the Israeli courts from challenging Jewish settlements on the West Bank in the Future.

Premier Menachem Begin is not likely to submit such legislation if only because he knows he cannot muster a majority for it in the Knesset or in his own Cabinet; A source close to the Prime Minister said he has indicated that he would resign if the forcible evacuation of Elon Moreh resulted in “the spilling of Jewish blood.

The Elon Moreh settlers voted early this morning but their decision was not made public. Gush Emunim leaders are apparently trying to bring about a change of mind or at least convince the settlers to formulate their decision in more “positive sounding terms.” The all-night debate was attended by Gush leaders, including MK Haim Druckman of the National Religious Party. They reportedly counseled the settlers to accept the government’s offer of an alternative site at Djebel Kebir some six miles away, but to no avail.

CLASH WITH ARMY NOT INEVITABLE

Some observers said, however, that the settlers’ decision did not make a clash with the army inevitable. They said the settlers’ determination not to leave of their own accord did not necessarily mean that they would offer active resistance to troops sent in to remove them. In this way they could claim that they had remained loyal to their ideological claim that Jews have a right to settle anywhere in “Eretz Israel,” the observers said.

The removal of Elon Moreh was ordered by the Supreme Court Oct.22 on grounds that the settlement was established illegally on seized Arab lands. The high court acted on an appeal by local Arab villagers. It set a 30-day deadline for the evacuation but this was observed only in part Some 30 acres of land were returned to their Arab owners last month but the Cabinet extended the deadline for full evacuation until the end of the year, 26 days from now.

The reason given was to allow the government time to prepare the alternative site on State-owned land at Djebel Kebir. At the same time, however, the government made it clear that it would not begin work on the new site unless the Elon Moreh settlers agreed to move voluntarily, Deputy Defense Minister Mordechai Zippori and other government sources have indicated that the army will move in to evacuate the settlers before the deadline is up unless they agree to move.

Benny Katzover, leader of the Elon Moreh settlers, said today that he would seek another meeting with Begin to try to persuade him to initiate legislation that would bar future court challenges. Begin’s office had no comment: But Education Minister Zevulun Hammer of the NRP, a leading supporter of the Gush Emunim, expressed impatience with the Elon Moreh settlers. He said he would support their forcible removal if they did not accept the government’s alternative site.