Israeli authorities yesterday evicted 10 young Israelis who camped themselves on the site of ancient Shiloh on the West Bank and announced their intention of establishing a permanent settlement there. The youths were one of several groups of Israelis who attempted unsuccessfully to establish Jewish settlements in the Samaria region north of Jerusalem.
Security forces, apparently forewarned, stopped the would-be settlers at checkpoints on the road to Nablus and in other West Bank areas. Under military government regulations, Israelis are not permitted to remain in the West Bank or other occupied territories for more than 48 hours without special permission.
One of the groups ordered to leave was accompanied by Shmuel Tamir, a Free Center member of the Knesset. Mr. Tamir is also a leader of the Greater Israel movement which advocates annexation of all Arab territories occupied in the June, 1967 war. But the youngsters who came in trucks loaded with household utensils denied that they had any political affiliation or that they were associated with the Movement. They said, “we shall try again but next time we won’t tell so many people.”
The Military Government evicted the Shiloh campers in order to prevent a recurrence of last year’s incident in Hebron. A group of Orthodox Jews established themselves in that West Bank town over a year ago and refused to leave. They were subsequently granted permission to remain as the result of political pressure from several coalition parties.
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