Settlement outposts at root of Jewish violence in West Bank

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With their legal challenges exhausted, settlers are increasingly nervous Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition is preparing to enforce court orders to dismantle outposts.

Reporting from Givat Assaf outpost, West Bank—
For months many Israelis shrugged off the mosque burnings, the uprooted Palestinian olive trees and even the death threats against Jewish leftists. But when young settlers this month vandalized army bases and stoned Israeli soldiers, the question of Jewish terrorism turned into a national emergency.

The recent flare-up in settler violence has puzzled many because it comes when there are no peace talks that might lead to land concessions, Palestinian attacks in the West Bank have dropped to new lows, and Israel is led by a conservative government that is expanding settlement construction.

The explanation can be traced to this illegal settlement outpost near the Palestinian city of Ramallah and others like it. After years of legal wrangling, Givat Assaf, a collection of trailers and sheds that house 25 Jewish families, was slated for demolition this month. At the last minute, Givat Assaf and several similar outposts won a temporary reprieve, giving settlers a few more months before government bulldozers are supposed to arrive.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-israel-settlers-violence-20111230,0,7406735.story