One Day After Demolition, Settlement Leaders Vow to Rebuild

Less than twenty-four hours after Israeli security forces demolished two apartment buildings in Bet-El, a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony was held on Thursday, 14 Menachem Av in preparation for their rebuilding. The event was attended by Deputy-Foreign Minister (Likud) Tzipi Hotevely, MK (Bayit Yehudi) Bezalel Smotrich MK, MK (Likud) Oren Hazan, Chairman of the Yesha Council Avi Roeh, Beit El Mayor Shai Alon, local clergy and hundreds of supporters. Concrete was poured over broken bricks from yesterday’s demolition to create the cornerstone of what settlement leaders declared will be a new Bet-El neighborhood.

During the event, lawmakers and settlement leaders made the following statements:

Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotevely:

“It is our right and duty to build the Jewish state. Those who believe that Jewish building is an obstacle to peace must understand that the only obstacle to peace and coexistence is Palestinian terror.”

MK Smotrich:

“We may have lost the struggle to save two buildings yesterday, but we also proved that we can overcome all obstacles to build when we need to, with the prime minister’s announcement to build an additional 300 units in the place of those destroyed. We will continue to build far more than 300 units, we will build and build all over Judea and Samaria, because this is our land.”

MK Hazan:

“Yesterday, we were here crying as we witnessed the destruction, today we are smiling, because we’ve come back to build. I’d like to give special thanks to the Supreme Court for establishing that they are in fact the sovereign rulers of Judea and Samaria, if they can decide what gets demolished, they can also decide what gets built. The majority of Israel understands this is our homeland and we aren’t going anywhere.”

Mayor Alon:

“John Kerry and the American State Department cannot dictate where we build or don’t build, we established an independent state 67 years ago, it’s time to be independent. We will continue to build in Bet-El and all over the land of Israel.”