I now understand better what the Amona situation is. The settlement of Amona is not being dismantled and evacuated. The settlement of Amona remains standing and is a legal settlement with permits. There were 9 buildings built without proper permits in the settlement and the government decided to destroy those 9 buildings.

I heard an interview on the news with the head of police discussing the violence and he said that the police came to deal with people breaking the law. No more, no less. That entails an approach of more violence than it does when dealing with a political situation of evacuation, as was the situation in Gush katif this past summer. That explains why the police were trained and instructed to use more violence than what we saw in Gush Katif.

This explanation also raises the implications of Olmerts stance on the matter. True these people were breaking the law by building a permanent structure with no permits. Why the unnecessary provocation and violence when there are thousands of such buildings all around Israel with no permits? The newscasters gave examples that almost half of the city of Lod was built with no permits, as are many areas in the Negev and in the Galilee and in many Arab towns and villages. In Arab towns alone there are over 8000 outstanding Tzavei Harisa.

Why did Olmert choose to crack down on these 9 buildings right now rather than on the thousands of Arab buildings with similar legal status, or thousands of jewish homes across Israel with similar legal status? because he wanted to cause a provocation with the settlers that would create an image around Israel and the world of himbeing strong against the settlers. He is simply looking to garner more mandates for Kadima. That is an abuse of power.