Sewage treatment (archives)
Photo: Tzvika Tishler
Petition: Demolish purification plant built on Palestinian land
Residents of West Bank village Ein Yabrud file petition to High Court of Justice claiming plant near Ofra settlement built illegally on their land, call for construction to be halted, previous demolition orders to be upheld. Petitioners say funding came from public sources
Palestinians from the West Bank village of Ein Yabrud filed a petition to the High Court of Justice on Monday requesting construction works on a purification plant located on what they claim to be their land be halted.
The petitioners also requested funding for the construction be frozen and that previous demolition orders issued against the site, that is located southeast of the Ofra settlement, be upheld.
Legalities
Aviad Glickman
Human rights group petitions High Court for injunction against Israeli operations in quarries located in Palestinian territory, claims it violates international law
The petition was filed by the Yesh Din human rights organization, against Defense Minister Ehud Barak, IDF Central Command Chief Gadi Shamni, and Civil Administration head Brigadier-General Yoav Mordechai.
Yesh Din attorneys Michael Sfard, Shlomi Zacharia and Avishar Lev argued that the facility was built illegally on the petitioners' lands, without any building permits.
According to the lawyers, the facility is worth millions of shekels that come from public resources, and works to complete the facility that started in mid-2007 are nearing their end.
"Like in every case of illegal construction by Israeli citizens in the West Bank, the arm of the law enforcement authorities is not felt," the petition read.
The petitioners said construction continues despite the defense minister's commitment to the court regarding a separate petition, in which he promised to enforce planning and construction laws in Ofra immediately and without any delay.
"This is illegal construction that is being carried out with direct and active involvement, that is even funding the looting and brutal violation of the law."
Advocate Zacharia said, "It's as extraordinary as it is saddening that, while the authorities, on the one hand issue demolition orders, and on the other hand takes money out of the citizens of the State of Israel's collective pocket and helps violate the law – all this at the expense of the petitioners' private property."
