Defense Minister Ehud Barak refuses to issue demolition orders for nine homes inside Ofrah, a yishuv in the Benjamin Regional Council district of Shomron. The refusal of the minister to raze the homes has prompted Arabs to file a petition with the High Court of Justice, which appears on Monday’s calendar.

According to the state prosecutor, Barak in December 2008 made the decision not to evict residents and raze the nine homes which Arabs claim were built on their land. The defense minister has indicated that from here on in, there will be stricter adherence to the building laws in Ofrah but regarding the families of the nine homes in question, he does not plan to oust them and raze the homes, but is instead opting to address the homes as part of the issue of illegal construction in Yosh areas. 

The residents of the PA village of Ein Yabroud are now calling on the court to compel the defense minister to raze the illegal structures. While the area is inside the municipality of Ofrah, the Arabs maintain the land parcel in question, about four acres, is registered in their names. 

The left-wing Peace Now organization responded angrily, stating that Barak is make a mockery of the law and it is obvious over recent years; he has become endeared to the settlers. Yariv Oppenheimer, the organization’s director added, “Inside Israel, Barak enforces the law but in the territories, law-enforcement is not part of his agenda”.

Attorney Shlomo Zechariah, representing the Ein Yabroud residents and the B’tselem human rights organization insist that Barak is not fulfilling his obligation as a minster, which demands that he protect the PA residents.   

Local Jewish residents praised Barak’s position, adding “the move is an encouraging sign that perhaps the Defense Ministry will in the future stop acquiescing to the pressure of the anti-Zionist radical left-wing, which over recent years, has been working systematically to destroy the Zionist vision”. (Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)