Police and back-up IDF troops are preparing for the largest expulsion of Jews since Gush Katif, destroyed almost exactly seven years ago, immediately after the Ninth of Av, the day of mourning for the destruction of the First and Second Temples.

The training will be totally superfluous if the government reaches a new agreement with residents of Migron, in Samaria, following the High Court decision Sunday that rejected a compromise to expel dozens of families from the community in three years, that is, after new homes can be built on nearby state land.

A senior officer in the Central Command warned two months ago that planning for the expulsion will cause a deterioration of security on several fronts, although the soldiers would serve as back-up reserves in an expulsion while the police take the front lines.

First of all, the training will take soldiers away from combat operations, particularly near Gaza and on the Egyptian and Lebanese borders. The emphasis on Gush Katif expulsion training was widely blamed for the IDF´s lack of preparedness in the Second Lebanon War.

Secondly, the destruction of another Jewish community will diminish the strength of Jewish presence in Samaria in Area C, the area that is controlled by Israel and contains all the Jewish communities in the region. This may encourage the Palestinian Authority, backed by Peace Now, to become the de facto authority in areas where Jews live, although only 4% of Palestinian Arabs live in Area C.

The IDF officer also warned that another expulsion could find the IDF having to deal with severe “price tag” operations against Arabs in protest of the court orders and government policy, unless the Netanyahu administration decides to back a new bill that would pave the way for Migron to remain in its present location. (IsraelNationalNews © 2012 03/26/12)