Beinish: For years nothing done
Photo: Gil Yohanan
Beinish chides state on unexecuted demolition orders
Supreme Court president wants orders referring to structures in two West Bank outposts honored
Supreme Court President Dorit Beinish criticized the state Wednesday for neglecting to carry out demolition orders in two West Bank settlements. "For years we have been hearing of these demolition orders and nothing is happening," she said.
"The state's general responses are not concrete or descriptive. The state has made certain plans and it is its duty to obey the law," Beinish added. "One of the claims is that as the construction progresses more quickly, the outpost is ousted from the state's enforcement list."
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The petition for the destruction of structures in the outposts of Horsha and Hayovel was filed four years ago. Attorney Gilad Shirman, who represents the state, told the court Wednesday that Israel has been working to evacuate various illegal outposts in recent months.
He negated the claim that the law was not being enforced in the West Bank, but said Israel had priorities. "These outposts are not top priority, and other places are higher on the list of priorities, but the state is operating at a proper pace," he said. "Maybe President Obama's name should have been added as a respondent to the petition."
Meanwhile Peace Now's representative in court, attorney Michael Sepharad, said the petition had been filed when the structures were still empty and that now they contained residents.
"In recent years dozens of permanent structures have been added to the outposts, and these people have begun to reside in homes that are under demolition orders. There is no choice but to issue a decisive warrant for the evacuation of these structures," Sepharad said.
