December 22, 2003	Monday	Shawwal 27, 1424

AL QUDS, Dec 21: Tens of thousands of Jewish settlers might have to move if Israel enacts mooted measures to separate from the Palestinians, Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Sunday.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said last week that if a US-backed peace plan failed, then Israel would take unilateral steps that would involve holding onto some occupied land but moving an unspecified number of settlers.

“It is certainly a lot more than in the thousands. It’s probably in the tens of thousands,” Olmert told a news conference.

“I don’t think I am ready to go into specific numbers but there will be a considerable number of Jewish inhabitants in the territories who will have to move and a considerable number of settlements,” Olmert said.

Settlers are outraged at the proposal from Sharon, who for decades championed the building of settlements on land occupied by Israel since the 1967 war. There are at least 230,000 settlers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Palestinians would like to see the settlers go, but are wary of unilateral Israel steps. Sharon said the Palestinians would end up with less land if those measures were taken than through negotiations on the US-backed “road map” for peace.

SETTLERS PLAN SEIGE: Jewish settlers on a hilltop in the occupied West Bank prepared for siege on Sunday, stockpiling supplies as they vowed to fight to the end against any Israeli government attempts to remove them.

Migron, a 150-strong community near Ramallah, is a prime target for removal either under the US-backed “road map” peace plan, or if that fails, under promised unilateral steps by Israel towards separation.

Settlers are fuming at schemes put forward by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, their champion for decades, that would involve uprooting some of them whatever happens.—Reuters