US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV5093

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 005093 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/17/2010 
TAGS: PGOV, KWBG, IS, GAZA DISENGAGEMENT, GOI INTERNAL, SETTLEMENTS 
SUBJECT: KNESSET MEMBERS VISIT GAZA SETTLEMENTS, SOME 
POSITIVE, SOME PAINED AS THEY LEAVE 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Norman Olsen for reasons 1.4 (b,d). 
 
1.  (C) Knesset members who support disengagement as well as 
those who oppose it have been visiting the Gaza settlements 
since the disengagement process began August 15.  Some have 
gone to show support for the settlers, while others have gone 
to show sensitivity to the settlers, but also to support the 
IDF and police.  Pro-disengagement Shinui MK Ilan Lebovitch 
spoke with Poloff August 17 just as he was driving out of 
Gush Katif after having met with residents and IDF soldiers. 
Lebovitch said that the process has been very difficult for 
the IDF and the settlers, but that it appears to him that the 
evacuation nonetheless has been moving forward and working 
well.  He highlighted the "wonderful job" the IDF and police 
are doing.  Lebovitch said that most of the residents he saw 
in Gush Katif were remaining in their homes.  (Note: Israeli 
security personnel asked residents to remain in their homes 
so that officials could deal with Israeli demonstrators who 
had infiltrated the area.)  He said that the IDF and police 
were mainly dealing with youth who had infiltrated into the 
settlements.  Lebovitch assessed that at the time the IDF 
moves to forcibly evacuate the Gush Katif settlements, some 
residents will leave voluntarily and others will be removed 
by the IDF, but most will not act violently.  Lebovitch said 
that some residents clearly did not want him there, as he is 
a member of a party that has supported disengagement.  He 
said that, nevertheless, it was important for him to go to 
support the IDF and police. 
 
2.  (C) Likud MKs and disengagement foes Gilad Erdan and 
Gideon Sa'ar visited Gush Katif on August 14 and met with 
settlement leaders with the aim of discouraging 
confrontations with the IDF.  Erdan told Poloff on August 17 
that the evacuation process seems like it will be completed 
quickly.  He assessed that the IDF may encounter problems in 
the two isolated and deeply ideological central-Gaza 
settlements of Netzarim and Kfar Darom, where they could 
encounter more extremists.  Erdan stressed that he is very 
unhappy about disengagement in general and that it is a bad 
time for him. 
 
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KURTZER