January 17, 2006	Tuesday	Zilhaj 16, 1426

AL KHALIL, Jan 16: Israel drafted hundreds of police reinforcements to the West Bank town of Al Khalil in a bid to quell what the press on Monday dubbed the Jewish intifada, sparked by plans to evacuate settlers.

Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert vowed zero tolerance towards Jewish families resisting eviction from a market in the flashpoint town, following two days of clashes between hundreds of militant settlers and security forces.

Dozens of police searched houses in the Jewish quarter, preventing residents from returning to their homes, and taking up position on rooftops and outside front doors. Cavalry and a water cannon were also on standby.

“We decided to demonstrate our toughness and the police presence will be permanent in order to counter the troubles,” said an official.

A furious Noam Arnon, a spokesman for the local Jewish community, accused police of violating the law for not first showing a search warrant.

“We expect police to respect the law,” he said.

The unrest is one of the first major challenges facing Mr Olmert, with Israel’s largest newspaper, Yediot Aharonot, decrying the ‘Jewish intifada in Hebron’ (Al Khalil)’, in reference to the five-year-old Palestinian uprising.

Mr Olmert, elected interim leader of the centrist Kadima party in place of the stricken Ariel Sharon who is still in a coma following a massive stroke, said there would be no forgiveness and tolerance for hardline settlers.

“This incident revolves around a particularly violent group,” Kadima spokeswoman Maya Jacobs quoted Mr Olmert as telling party members, saying he had ordered the security forces to act decisively towards the rioters.

“Whoever raises his hand against the security forces will not be forgiven,” he said. “There is no justification for this and it will not be tolerated.”

Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz has reiterated his determination to remove nine Jewish families squatting illegally in a Palestinian fruit and vegetable market in the city, vowing that the authorities will not be intimidated by violence.

The settler families — around 50 people — have taken over some of the stalls and buildings of the closed market.

Hundreds of hardline settlers hurled eggs and stones at security forces for two days running on Saturday and Sunday.

“On Sunday I ordered an extra 250 police to deploy to Hebron. We want to apply the law by arresting those responsible for the disturbances so they can be put on trial,” Israel’s police chief told public radio.

Leader of the left-wing opposition Labour party, Amir Peretz, expressed full support with the government’s position and called for all outbreaks of lawlessness in unauthorized settlements to be met with appropriate severity.

“We can’t ignore the fact that illegal settlements that aren’t evacuated give legitimacy to this wild behaviour. Therefore, I support the acting prime minister and the security forces in their handling of these outlaws,” he said.—AFP