JERUSALEM, June 9: Israel’s highest court on Thursday rejected a bid by Jewish settlers to overturn legislation underpinning Israel’s planned withdrawal from Gaza, clearing the last major legal hurdle to a pullout in August.

Ruling in a closely watched case, a High Court panel voted 10-1 to leave largely intact, with only minor technical changes, a parliamentary-approved compensation package for the 9,000 settlers earmarked for evacuation.

Groups of settlers seeking to block any withdrawal from occupied land had filed 12 petitions calling for the ‘disengagement’ law to be invalidated or significantly rewritten on the grounds it violated their human rights.

The court’s rejection of the settlers’ arguments means Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who has already overcome all legislative hurdles to implementing the pullout, should be able to push ahead without fear of further legal obstacles.

In another blow to opponents of the withdrawal, a former chief rabbi of Israel, Mordechai Eliyahu, called on soldiers to obey orders to remove settlers and advised evacuees to use passive resistance when the security forces come to the door.

“Many soldiers have asked me what they should do,” the influential rabbi, who opposes the evacuation of settlements from land many settlers claim as a biblical right, told Channel Two television.

“I responded that it’s preferable for believing Jews to go among the houses and (evacuate settlers) while crying, in tears and with a broken heart, than for all kinds of evil people to come and joyously remove settlers and toss them roughly into vehicles,” he said.

Many opponents of the withdrawal say it would reward Palestinian militants fighting Israel. Security officials fear a hard core of settlers could turn violent and that some religious soldiers might disobey orders to carry out the evacuation.

Eliyahu advised settlers: “Recite chapters of Psalms, spill out your heart to our Father in heaven so he will take pity on his children and lift the decree, but don’t help those who come to evacuate you and don’t forcibly oppose them either.”—AFP