The Gush Emunim attempt to get to Jericho yesterday now appears not to have been an actual attempt at establishing an illegal settlement but a means of putting pressure on the ministerial committee for settlement to approve a Jewish settlement near Jericho.
This was the demand of some 30 followers of Gush Emunim who demonstrated near the Prime Minister’s Office today as the committee headed by Minister-Without-Portfolio Israel Galili was meeting. Religious Affairs Minister Yitzhak Rafael promised the demonstrators he would ask the committee to approve a settlement near Jericho. Later, Galili said the matter would be discussed at the committee’s next meeting.
Yesterday’s drive to Jericho by some 200 supporters of Gush Emunim was stopped when the army put up roadblocks forcing the ultranationalist group-to try to make it on donkey and camel paths. One truckload of 60 Gush followers did get near Jericho and tried to put up some tents. But the soldiers dismantled the tents and all the militants agreed to return to Jerusalem.
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