'Army unprepared for violence'
IDF officials increasingly concerned about force of expected anti-pullout resistance, as disengagement date nears; senior officer warns: settlers may shut down country, clash with Arab-Israelis
TEL AVIV - A senior IDF officer has warned that the army is underestimating the force of resistance expected to be offered by settlers during the upcoming Gaza Strip and West Bank pullout, newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported Thursday.
"Those guys aren't suckers. There are many among them who are veterans of the most elite army units and know exactly what they're getting into," the army official said.
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The officer, who has been involved in drafting disengagement plans, estimates earlier road blocking anti-pullout protests are only the beginning.
"During the evacuation, protesters will arrive at intersections and shut down the country," he said. "The settlers' resistance will surprise the IDF."
The senior officer also expressed his concern that anti-disengagement activists may block the Wadi Ara thoroughfare in northern Israel, leading to clashes with Arab-Israelis who reside in the area.
Moreover, the official estimates thousands of police officers slated to take part in settlement evacuation would be forced to return to central Israel to address disturbances, with IDF soldiers likely to be left with the unsavory task of evacuating settlers.
Settlers stockpiling water, food
As far as violent resistance, the military official estimates the main danger comes from radical West Bank settlers who plan arrive in Gaza in a bid to foil the pullout, and not from Gush Katif residents themselves. That same radical minority may even resort to the use of weapons, the officer warned.
In light of the unnerving scenario, IDF officers have been increasingly calling to evacuate both Gaza and the northern West Bank simultaneously, in order to make the resistance to settlement evacuation extend over a shorter period of time.
Meanwhile, the army believes the northern West Bank town of Sa-Nur may be the most difficult community to remove, with local residents planning to barricade themselves in the face of approaching troops.
Sa-Nur residents are already stockpiling water and food, a senior army officer said.
Another high-ranking IDF official said Wednesday the army is underestimating the rift within Israeli society and the military caused by the pullout.
"The IDF will meet the mission even with a 1,000 soldiers who refuse to take part in settlement evacuation, but the rift in the army in the day after will be large," the officer warned.
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