The High Court of Justice on Tuesday ordered Defense Minister Ehud Barak to explain why demolition and stop construction orders of the court pertaining to homes in Yishuv Ofrah are being ignored. The Defense Ministry has 60 days to respond.

Responding to the petition filed by the B’tselem rights organization, the court questioned the non-compliance, referring to nine homes built inside the Shomron community, stating they are built on private land belonging to residents of the nearby Arab village Ein Yabroud.

The petitioners explain that the homes were quickly occupied to ‘create facts on the ground’ hoping to prevent the demolition of the structures.

Veteran Ofrah resident and longtime Yesha leader Pinchas Wallerstein commented on the High Court’s decision, stating that while it may not be “nice to say”, the court has an “agenda” and the court’s leanings are quite obvious.

Wallerstein added the Arabs abandoned the land in question some 30-35 years ago.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)