After years of efforts towards building a new neighborhood in Modi’in Illit, the Defense Ministry appears to have decided against the construction of Matityahu Mizrach Bet. This is due to the ministry’s decision to alter the partition fence route along neighboring Bilin and the 2,000 dunam area which was to have been expropriated has been nixed, reduced to significantly less, resulting in the canceling of the construction of 1,100 housing units.

Bilin representatives filed suit in the Supreme Court, opposed to the land expropriations and the partition fence route. The ministry argued the land in question was purchased in the 1970s, further arguing the High Court approved continued construction.

In another ruling, the court ordered altering the partition fence route but the original amended route was rejected, with the court instructing the ministry to alter the route as per the court’s stipulations. The new route was submitted to the court on Sunday morning, a route far more favorable to Bilin residents, at the expense of the planned area in Modi’in Illit.

Bilin residents are not satisfied and plan to turn to the High Court again, explaining too many matters are not clear, including just when the state will release the expropriated areas of their municipality.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)