It is becoming increasingly evident that families living in Beit El’s Ulpana neighborhood will be evicted by the government as efforts to circumvent the High Court decision to date seem to be failing. The final challenge comes on Wednesday, 16 Sivan 5772, when Knesset will vote on a bill that legalizes the homes in question. While MKs will be permitted to vote their conscious, cabinet members may be compelled to vote in line with the prime minister’s instructions, to oppose the legislation. If however the prime minister realizes the bill lacks sufficient support to pass, he may permit ministers to vote as they wish to give the appearance of fair play. Protestors outside the Prime Minister’s Office are already displaying signs “PM Netanyahu, don’t be an Ariel Sharon 2”, referring to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s expulsion of Jews from Gaza and N. Shomron communities in 2005.

The prime minister is now of the opinion that voting in a law that neutralizes the High Court’s ruling will delegitimize Israel in the international community. He simply feels that while it would save the homes, the price being paid in the international community is too costly.

The prime minister over recent days has been speaking about relocating the families about a kilometer from their current location, speaking of building ten homes for every home that must be relocated. Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein on Sunday, 13 Sivan discussed the Ulpana issue at length, and he is of the opinion that there are many legal problems surrounding the homes.

For one thing, the area selected by the prime minister is an abandoned IDF base and Weinstein states there are legal issues with building residential homes on a military area since the latter was expropriated for security reasons so now, designating it for residential use might be problematic. In essence, as occurred in the Ulpana neighborhood, the original owner may claim the land back since it is no longer being used for security purposes.

Shas is signaling that if permitted to vote as one pleases, party ministers will support the bill but if the prime minister imposes cabinet discipline on ministers, they will comply and vote as instructed, which in this case means a sure defeat for the bill.

It is unclear at this point what the prime minister will do, since he stated that he will only move ahead with his relocation plan after receiving the green light from the attorney general, which is not the case.

In the meantime, there is growing support at the hunger strike protest tent outside the Prime Minister’s Office, with additional people joining daily to show their support for Beit El residents. A two-day march to Jerusalem is also planned to bring attention to the plight of the Ulpana eviction plan, which will result in ousting 30 families from 5 apartment buildings in that community.

At present, Monday morning 14 Sivan the vote appears as follows:

 In favor of the law:

Shas (11), HaBayit HaYehudi (3), HaIchud HaLeumi (4), Likud (9) = 27

Undecided:

(14), Yisrael Beitenu (15), Yahadut HaTorah (5), and Kadima (2) = 36

Opposed:

Likud (4 ministers),  Arab parties (11), Meretz (3), Labor (8), Atzmaut (5), and Kadima (26) = 57

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)