ISRAEL: SINAI: ISRAELI DEFENCE MINISTER ARRIVES IN YAMIT TO CALM DOWN SETTLERS CONCERN OVER COMPENSATION FOR LEAVING.

Record ID: 708240

  • Title: ISRAEL: SINAI: ISRAELI DEFENCE MINISTER ARRIVES IN YAMIT TO CALM DOWN SETTLERS CONCERN OVER COMPENSATION FOR LEAVING.
  • Date: 7th December 1981
  • Summary: YAMIT, SINAI 6 & 7 DECEMBER, 1981 (REUTERS JERUSALEM & REUTERS - ELI FASTMAN) SCU PULL BACK GV Effigy of Begin on barricade with barbed wire. SV & CU Barricades being torn down as police watch. (3 SHOTS) SV & CU Welder working to clear barricade and gate being opened. (3 SHOTS) GV Road being closed down. GV Car arrives and Sharon gets out and enters building. SV INTERIOR Sharon at meeting. SV EXTERIOR Israeli troops on guard. SCU Sharon speaking. GV Press gathered round minister. SV Rabbi Yoset coming to talk to hunger striker. CU PULL BACK SV INTERIOR Rabbi speaking in Hebrew to Dr. Misha Mishkan, the hunger striker. CU Hunger striker's hands clasped. SV Dr. Misha Mishkan speaking in English. SPEECH (TRANSCRIPT) SHARON: "It's a tragedy that people who decided to build their life here who came here at the request of the government of Israel by the government which promised a new deal, and spend here some of the best years have to move from here. But though it is a tragedy, I am glad, as I said before and would like to emphasise that the people should understand that the problem although very complicated might be solved only when it is quiet and everything will be done according to law." MISHKAN: ".. (INDISTINCT) inclination is behind me. There are other people who are going to fight. So I think there's no longer any need for my hunger strike." JS
  • Embargoed: 22nd December 1981 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: YAMIT, SINAI
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: International Relations,People
  • Reuters ID: LVACJUMAZCTNAU4XAYU932TP22VE
  • Story Text: INTRODUCTION: The Israeli cabinet is considering ways of increasing compensation payments to settlers in the Sinai who'll have to move when the area is handed back to Egypt under the Camp David agreement. The settlers have been protesting loudly over what they say are inadequate payments and over the decision to hand the Sinai back in the first place. Angry residents of the largest town to be handed over, Yamit even barricaded themselves in and one man went on hunger strike over the issue. However, the cabinet decided that the protests must be calmed down and the defence minister Ariel Sharon, visited the town on Monday (7 December) to cool tempers.

    SYNOPSIS: A crude effigy of Prime Minister, Menachem Begin stares down from the barricades surrounding Yamit. When Mr. Sharon announced that he would come to discuss settlers problems they agreed to take the barricades down. However, the talks won't please some religious hardliners who say the area should never have been forsaken in the Camp David agreements. Despite their concern, many settlers have already left and the loudest cries from those remaining are for greater compensation and not religious ethics. Those cries and the possibility of open rebellion made the issue an urgent one, Mr. Sharon told the settlers at a heavily guarded meeting that he would study their demands and make his recommendations to the Cabinet next week after which he would return to convey the government's decision. However, he insisted that nothing could be done if the people here decided to take the law into their own hands.

    The settlers said they were satisfied with the meeting and would not take any further action.

    But the feeling which made Doctor Misha Mishkan go on hunger strike is still running high. Local rabbis talked Doctor Mishkan into coming off his strike, but he believes the Sinai's biblical definition as part of the land of Israel and he's convinced the fight will continue.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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