Protests outside the court
צילום: איי פי
Court considers evacuation law
Gaza settlers, business owners claim evacuation law is illegal; lawyer Sheftel: Israel expelling Jews, making room for Qassams to reach Ashkelon
The Supreme Court met Thursday to consider eight separate appeals to declare the Evacuation-Compensation Law illegal.
Right-wing protesters staged a small demonstration outside the court, calling on the justices to foil the planned withdrawal.
Disengagement Authority chief Yonatan Bassi also attended the hearings, together with lawyers, litigants, and observers. Thursday's hearing focused on legal and economic issues surrounding the controversial law.
The litigants were far from homogeneous. The Gaza Beach Regional Council submitted one appeal, 43 Gush Katif residents signed a separate appeal saying the law would cause economic hardship, and two others were factory owners n the Erez Industrial Zone.
Observers reported a tense atmosphere in the courtroom. Attorney Yoram Sheftel opened the proceedings by telling the judges "the people sitting before you are third-generation residents of Gush Katif," as opposed to the seven-year history of (destroyed Sinai settlement) Yamit.
The government is expelling Jews from Gush Katif, but it will soon experience Qassam rockets on Ashkelon," said Sheftel .
