[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA: In the next days we will know if this move is the
action of some low level person in the IDF or a cynical move being directed
from the Olmert team to turn the screws on the settlers to help make their
lives more miserable in the hopes that they will get the message and start
packing.

If it is a low level person then after some mumbling the program will be
dropped. If it isn't then it will require the intervention of Shas.

There is, of course, the more cynical - though very realistic - scenario:

Just as checkpoints are periodically dropped until some Israelis are
murdered to please Washington, settlers can be disarmed until a few are
murdered to please America.]

IDF collecting settlers' weapons
JPost.com Staff , THE JERUSALEM POST Apr. 8, 2008
www.jpost.com
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In recent weeks the IDF has been collecting hundreds of military-issued
weapons in the Binyamin region in the West Bank, including weapons that were
in the possession of IDF officers.

According to reports Tuesday, the only people who were given leave to keep
their weapons were rapid response teams and those charged with maintaining
security in the settlements.

"This is a severe blow to the security of those driving on roads in the
territories, especially following the removal of roadblocks and the delivery
of weapons to the Palestinian Authority," a reserve officer who lives in the
West Bank told Israel Radio.

In a recent meeting with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayad,
Defense Minister Ehud Barak discussed a list of goodwill gestures he planned
to approve for the Palestinians, including the deployment of 600 PA security
personnel currently being trained in Jordan to Jenin.

Members of the Palestinian police have been implicated in recent shooting
attacks in the West Bank which killed Ido Zoldan, Ahikam Amihai and David
Rubin.

"The weapons were collected for maintenance reasons and are intended to stay
in the IDF's hands except for in emergency cases," the army said in
response. "There are still weapons in the hands of rapid response teams and
those who are licensed to carry arms."

"If need be, weapons will be distributed to graduates of combat units," the
army added.

Yaakov Katz contributed to this report