“From what I have heard, this is not a solution that is fitting for the yishuv but a situation that no one from Amona can live with. We are seeking an arrangement to permit us to live here” stated Rabbi Yair Frank, the rav of Amona.
Speaking with Kol Chai Radio, Rav Frank said “If the government and the Knesset accept the logic and path of compensation and not eviction, then there is no real issue with imposing the solution retroactively as well. Why can’t this apply to Amona as well? The government accepts responsibility and believes it can arrange yishuvim, this too must be applicable to Amona”. Rav Frank was referring to the Regulation Bill which many feel will prevent the evacuation of hundreds or even thousands of homes around Yehuda and Shomron, but the bill will not retroactively save Amona or eight houses in an area of Ofra or 17 homes in a neighborhood of Yishuv Elazar, all slated for destruction as per the High Court of Justice.
The rav adds that Likud or Bayit Yehudi did not update them on Sunday 4 Kislev the residents of the community, after deciding to remove paragraph 7 which deals with retroactive authorization of communities including Amona. Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett agreed to this as well after realizing the bill hasn’t a chance of passing with paragraph 7, which the attorney general feels would be knocked down in a Supreme Court challenge after being passed into law.
Rabbi Frank feels the behavior of the decision-makers is unacceptable for no one bothered to update the people who will be thrown out of their homes. “They must speak with us and receive out approval and I believe B’ezras Hashem it will be, that the yishuvim will be authorized, including Amona retroactively”.
Rabbi Frank still believes the process can be stopped and he calls on Likud and Bayit Yehudi to do what is necessary to permit Amona to continue and not be removed. He speaks of the feeling of uncertainty that exists among residents, reminding listeners “We haven’t changed our position”, regarding their insistence on remaining and not being bought out to relocated elsewhere.
Rabbi Frank concludes if there actually is an expulsion, no one should lift a hand against anyone. No one lifts a hand!”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
Please keep in mind that Shas, Agudah and Degel all refused to back the Amona regulation bill in the Knesset. Torah leaders who guide these parties have made it clear that they will not support the settlers of Amona. The cause of these settlers is wrong and counter to Torah values. Let us pray that the evacuation takes place without injury to IDF soldiers enforcing the law.
Netanyahu is busy trying to chase jews out of their homes while allowing Arab terrorist to live freely he is a leftist and is a danger to israel
Netanyahu is not a leftist. He is obligated to follow the law. The law says that the residents of Amona are illegally occuping land that does not belong to them. Following the law does not make one a leftist. Israel is a democracy not a theocracy or monarchy.