Development begins at site designated for Migron settlers

Site near Psagot settlement set to house residents of West Bank outpost to be destroyed by August 1 because it was built on Palestinian land

Itamar Fleishman |Published: 04.05.12 , 18:00

The Mateh Binyamin Regional Council has begun developing the site designated to house settlers from the West Bank outpost of Migron, Ynet reported Thursday.

Bulldozers have been brought to the area, located near the Psagot settlement, in order to level the ground.

"We understand that the time is short, which is why we are prepared to finish planning and begin developing within days," Deputy Council Head Motti Yogev said.

In late March the High Court ordered the State to evacuate Migron by August 1 because it was built on private Palestinian land. In its ruling, the court rejected a compromise agreement between the State and the settlers, according to which the outpost's destruction would be delayed until 2015.

The court's decision drew harsh criticism from right-wing Knesset members. Aryeh Eldad (National Union) said that the High Court "proved once again that it favors the Arab interest over Jewish settlement, even at the price of shedding Jewish blood. The High Court will be responsible for any blood spilled in Migron."

MK Tzipi Hotoely of the ruling Likud party called the decision a "reward for extremists trying to split the country in half." She added that "the High Court's surrender to the demands made by the Peace Now organization is likely to take a heavy toll on Israeli solidarity."

Left-wing organizations hailed the ruling as a victory. Peace Now, which originally petitioned the court against the legality of Migron in 2006, called the court's decision a "step in the right direction".

"The court's ruling made it clear to authorities that no one – including the government and the settlers - is above the law," said Peace Now Executive Director Yariv Oppenheimer.