In his comments pertaining to the imminent demolition of Beit Knesset Ayelet HaShachar in Givat Ze’ev, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon stated on Monday 27 Cheshvan “We should have done this a long time ago”.

The senior minister added “I understand the community is sensitive, but I sent a transportable structure to replace it”, which he added would have been positioned on Defense Ministry land, ending the controversy over the land ownership.

Ya’alon added “Part of the community is trying to blackmail like the removal of the Dreinoff project [in Beit El], receiving backing from politicians who knees become weakened in the face of Jewish terror”.

“A group of thugs have taken over a piece of land, private Palestinian property which is outside Givat Ze’ev” he insists, accusing them of trying to profit off of the shul controversy.

The minister signaled the tractors will be pulling into place in the coming days and the demolition will be carried out in compliance with the High Court of Justice ruling.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)