More than 10,000 weapons at Jewish settlers' disposition

JERUSALEM (AFP) Apr 13, 2003
Jewish settlers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have more than 10,000 weapons to defend themselves against Palestinian attacks, an Israeli Defense Ministry report published on Sunday.

The report reveals that 8,000 automatic rifles, machine pistols and ordinary handguns are available to settlers on the West Banks and a further 2,500 to those on the Gaza Strip.

In addition, the settlers' own territorial units have heavy armoury, machine guns and mortars available for the defense of their settlements.

The report was published at the request of a left-wing opposition Meretz party deputy, who criticised "the profusion of weapons in the hands of settlers and the risk of the setting-up of parallel militias".

Israeli Interior Ministry figures put the number of Jewish settlers currently in the territories at around 226,000.

More than 150 settlers have died in Palestinian attacks since the start of the intifada, or uprising, in September 2000.

SPACE.WIRE