Israel delays Gaza pullout to avoid conflict
MIL/CBC, May 9, 2005. Special Correspondent
Jerusalem - Israel is planning to delay its pullout from the Gaza Srip, may be till August. The main purpose of this postponement is to avoid conflict with a Jewish holiday.
Speaking on Israeli television, Sharon said that the evacuations would happen after the Jewish religious mourning period of Tisha B'av, ending around Aug. 14. Sharon had indicated much earlier about the postponement. He said that the evacuation of 21 Jewish settlements from Gaza is scheduled to start around July 20.
According to CBC News, the move will take affect about 8,500 Jewish settlers.
A number of ministers in Sharon's right-wing Likud party are calling for the evacuations to be delayed until October, following the annual Jewish high holidays.
Critics of the delay say it will give Jewish religious extremists more time to organize resistance against the move.
Israel's announcement came the same day negotiators from the Mideast "quartet" met in Moscow. Representatives from the United States, Russia, the European Union and United Nations urged the Palestinians and the Israelis to work together to prevent violence during the pullout.
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