According to an Israel Radio report, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is not getting his hands dirty, announcing he is giving total authority regarding outposts to Defense Minister Ehud Barak. The move constitutes Netanyahu giving his defense minister the green light to do as he pleases, to begin dismantling the unauthorized communities.

Just last week, Barak ordered the destruction of Maoz Esther in Shomron, which has quickly become a symbol of defiance against Barak’s determination to remove communities that are “illegal” as he put it, insisting is policy is unrelated to White House’s opposition but rather his commitment to a society of law and order.

Hours after the home and shul in Maoz Esther were dismantled; residents and supporters were on hand to begin reassembling the community, determined in their defiance and tenacious in their vision of continued building throughout Yehuda and Shomron.

Barak will undoubtedly move in soon to once again dismantle Maoz Esther, but supporters insist they will not be defeated and will rebuild as many times as necessary.

While some unauthorized outposts are indeed small somewhat makeshift communities consisting of frail homes, some are indeed yishuvim by every meaning of the word, such as Migron, which has dozens of homes and paved roadways or Givat HaRoeh, both in Shomron, both in existence for years and home to dozens of families.

It would appear that last week’s decision to target Maoz Esther is a policy statement of the defense minister and the start of the cat-and-mouse game surrounding the outposts, a policy that is endorsed actively or passively by a prime minister who was elected by the right-wing but is opting to turn a blind eye to his electorate, preferring to permit Barak to fulfill White House dictates on his behalf.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)