MIDDLE EAST: Thousands of police and soldiers began deploying yesterday in southern Israel and along the border with Gaza, ahead of a mass protest scheduled for today by opponents of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw from the Strip in two weeks.
Jewish settlers and their supporters vowed yesterday to defy a ban on the protest declared by Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz, saying they would gather in the southern town of Sderot and march from there into the Gush Katif settlement bloc in Gaza, which Mr Sharon plans to evacuate.
By infiltrating thousands, or even tens of thousands, of pullout opponents into the Strip, they hope they will be able to thwart the withdrawal.
Mr Mofaz said the rally posed a security risk because Palestinian militants in Gaza, who have often fired rockets at Sderot, might try to target the demonstrators.
But Mr Mofaz and Mr Sharon are clearly worried by the prospect of tens of thousands of anti-pullout protesters marching on Gaza.
The potential showdown today comes just two weeks after 20,000 soldiers and police blocked another mass settler rally from marching on Gaza. So far, up to 2,000 pullout opponents have managed to sneak into the settlements in the Strip, which are home to some 7,500 Jews.
Attorney General Meni Mazuz yesterday defended the ban on the rally, insisting that the organisers of the protest had made it clear that "the goal is not a demonstration of free speech. The goal is to get into Gush Katif, to penetrate the banned area." (The area of the settlements was declared a closed military zone last month.)
In an attempt to encourage more settlers in Gaza to begin the process of receiving state compensation and alternative housing inside Israel, Mr Sharon yesterday told his cabinet that he was determined to carry out the withdrawal.
"Don't be tempted to believe that the disengagement won't be implemented or that it will be delayed," he said. "The disengagement will be implemented on schedule."