— Residents of Yamit and other settlements near the old Israel-Egypt border to be returned to Egypt next year blocked the main road to Egypt today to protest what they charged was the government’s disregard of agreements to compensate them.
The government recently suggested that the settlers pay income tax on the millions of Shekels they are to receive for the homes and farms they will have to abandon. The settlers parked vehicles across the main road and burned an old car and a tire to create flames and smoke for television cameramen. But traffic to and from Egypt continued more or less normally as drivers detoured around the demonstration, using dirt tracks and side roads.
A similar day-long strike was observed at Ophira, Israel’s southernmost settlement at Sharm El-Sheikh which will also be abandoned in a year’s time.
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