| A dozen Israeli lawmakers have signed a pledge to join Jewish settlers in resisting the dismantling of settlements in the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank — the latest sign that protests could be fierce. Lawmaker Effie Eitam, a leader of the group, told Israel Army Radio yesterday that the petition calls for nonviolent protests, but acknowledged that things could get out of hand. "We must not carry out this evacuation. I think the prime minister has to understand that this evacuation stretches...the limits of democracy," Eitam said. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to dismantle 25 settlements and remove 8,600 settlers from their homes has infuriated Israeli hard-liners. Protests escalated this week, after Sharon managed to stabilize his wobbly coalition and the settlers' political options were dwindling. Some settlers, comparing the evacuation of settlements to the Nazi Holocaust, began wearing orange Star of David patches, similar to those the Nazis forced Jews to pin to their lapels. |