The Supreme Court accepted a Peace Now petition and has ordered the destruction of homes in six communities, which the state views as “outposts”. The court has determined the homes in these communities were built on private and not state land, and they must be razed within six months. As a result of the court’s ruling, homes will be destroyed in Givat Assaf, Mitzpei Yitzhar, and Maale Rechavam. In Mitzpei Yitzhar it affects one building, two or three in Maale Rechavam and four in Givat Assaf, home to 30 families.

Unlike the other communities included in the petition, Givat HaRoeh in Yishuv Eli, Negahot West and Ramat Gilad appear to be safe, for now, as the state announced it was taking steps to legalize the communities by addressing the legal issues. The court instructed the state to provide an update regarding these communities in six months. The court was critical of government foot-dragging and its failure to carry out the demolition orders in Ramat Gilad as it assured the court it would.

The residents of Ramat Gilad agreed to evacuate some of the buildings in exchange for receiving a plot of land with permits attesting to the legality of those parcels of land. After the buildings were evacuated, the state announced there are problems meeting its end of the agreement. The court ordered the state to pay Peace Now’s legal expenses to the tune of 25,000 NIS.

The petition was submitted seven years ago which led to the IDF’s Central District Command issuing a military order prohibiting construction of any building in the outpost or area delineated in the military order. The military orders were renewed once annually to maintain their status. The court feels the state procrastinated for years and now the court has rendered a decision compelling the state to act.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)