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Sparks fly as parliament debates Hebron pact
Latest developments:
January 16, 1997
Web posted at: 12:55 p.m. EST (1755 GMT)JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Heated debate swept over the Israeli parliament, or Knesset, Thursday as lawmakers discussed whether to approve a landmark agreement for troop withdrawal from the volatile West Bank town of Hebron.
During the session, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu found himself angrily defending the agreement with members of his Likud Party, who charged the prime minister with abandoning national security policies for a shaky peace deal.
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"What's the difference between us and Labor?" demanded legislator Uzi Landau, referring to the opposition party. "What will we tell our voters?"
"We have no say in anything," said another legislator, Reuven Rivlin. "What will we do if the Palestinians declare a state? How can we even stop them?"
The parliamentary debate started around 11 a.m. local time and was expected to last well into the night, with each of the 120 legislators being allowed to speak. However, the deal was expected to pass easily with the support of leftist opposition parties.
Turbulent exchanges also erupted at the Palestinian legislative council in the West Bank town of Ramallah. Legislators were angry they had not been given copies of the agreement.
"The executive branch has continuously ignored and marginalized this council," said Haidar Abdel Shafi, an independent and one of Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat's most vocal critics.
The Israeli and Palestinian Cabinets each approved the U.S.-brokered deal in the preceding 24 hours.
In a sign of how inflammatory the issue remains, Israeli Cabinet members who voted in favor of the deal were assigned bodyguards Thursday. And science Minister Benny Begin, son of Israel's late Prime Minister Menachem Begin, resigned in protest after the Cabinet vote.
The peace agreement calls for the redeployment of Israeli troops in the West Bank in three phases, ending no later than late 1998. That includes Israeli troop withdrawals from 80 percent of Hebron, a move originally scheduled for last March. Hebron is the last West Bank city under Israeli occupation.
Troops begin pulling up stakes
Meanwhile, Israeli soldiers in Hebron lowered the Star of David flag and loaded dozens of trucks with boxes and equipment in preparation for an end to their 30-year rule over the city.
Shrouded in fog and heavy rainfall, heavy trucks trundled through Palestine streets, taking equipment away from the main army base.
Army bulldozers dismantled cement barriers at the gate of Israel's main military headquarters on a hill overlooking the city. The base is to become the headquarters of Palestinian Authority leader Yasser Arafat's 400-member security force after the handover.
Paratroopers in red berets fanned out through the city to protect soldiers removing equipment and to prevent protests by Jewish settlers against the agreement.
"The removal of the equipment does not change any decision," said Israeli Maj. Gen. Gabi Ofir. "We are remaining in our usual deployment and ... have even reinforced our presence."
Palestinian officials said they were poised for the takeover.
"As soon as the redeployment begins, our forces are ready to enter the city," Hebron commander Brig. Gen. Abdel-Fattah al-Jaidi said.
Netanyahu defends deal before Knesset
Speaking before parliament, Netanyahu staunchly defended the Hebron agreement as "better, safer and more responsible" than the one signed by his dovish predecessors.
Foreign Minister David Levy, who has often clashed with Netanyahu, came to his defense. "What is the alternative?" Levy shouted. "There is no alternative. The only alternative you can give is stalemate."
Approval of the deal is virtually guaranteed because of the Labor support for peace agreements. The largest dissent lies within Netanyahu's party. As many as a third of Likud members were expected to abstain or vote against the agreement.
If approved, the troop withdrawal from Hebron would go into effect immediately and would take less than 48 hours, security sources said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Special section:
CNN Interactive's extended coverageRelated stories:
- Israeli parliament debates Hebron deal - January 16, 1997
- Israeli troops poised to leave most of Hebron - January 15, 1997
- Israeli Cabinet passes Hebron deal after tense debate - January 15, 1997
- Hebron deal complete, hard sell begins - January 15, 1997
- Israelis, Palestinians sign accord on Hebron - January 14, 1997
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