In response to a Peace Now petition to the High Court of Justice seeking to halt construction in the Shomron community of Kiryat Netafim, the state on Tuesday told the High Court it is moving ahead with the process of Taba land registration, to retroactively approve 15 homes that were constructed, but not completed.

The issue is complicated and the head of the Shomron Regional Council, Gershon Mesika explains:

According to Mesika, the community is almost 28 years old, and it was constructed with approval of the Ministry of Housing. Back in those days he added, the ministry was not as exacting in focusing on paperwork and as a result, the community never received Taba land registry status, which is at the core of the entire matter.

The fifteen homes in question were built, but never completed, lacking infrastructure including sewage connectivity. As a result, the families live under extremely difficult conditions. The Peace Now organization turned to the High Court questioning how the buildings can be completed and how public buildings including daycare centers can be constructed if the community lacks Taba registration.

Mesika explains the court issued a temporary injunction and froze all work. He adds that it appears that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has compelled Defense Minister Ehud Barak to sign the appropriate paperwork to advance and complete the Taba registry, and in essence, this does not represent a new construction project but “correcting a long-standing injustice”.

Mesika happily explained that once the Taba registration process is completed, the homes and connectivity to sewage and proper infrastructure can be completed at long last.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)