Migron residents vow non-violent eviction
A day before evacuation deadline, outpost residents appeal to High Court of Justice, asking to postpone relocation until alternate housing site has been completed; say they will respect court ruling
More than six years after it first began, the legal battle surrounding the illegal West Bank outpost of Migron is expected to draw to an end in the High Court of Justice on Tuesday.
Security forces are preparing to evacuate at least 33 families, who will be relocated to a caravilla site in Giv'at HaYekev, and 17 other families, who claim they have purchased the land on which their houses are built, will find out whether they can stay in the outpost or whether they, too, will have to leave their homes.
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On Monday, a day before the deadline issued by the High Court of Justice for the eviction of the outpost, Migron residents filed a petition asking the court to postpone the evacuation until after construction of homes has been completed at an alternate site in Giv'at HaYekev.
The petitioners wrote that the fact that the land Migron is built on is privately owned by a Palestinian does not justify the eviction, because it is clear that the owner will never make use of the land.
In their petition, the residents said they would respect any ruling issued by the court and will not employ and violence during the evacuation – if and when it takes place.
'Land owner will never use the land.' Migron outpost
According to the residents, the caravilla site that is being prepared for them at Giv'at HaYekev suffers from many security and safety impairments; in addition, they claimed that they will not be able to begin the new school year at the site.
In addition to the petition, the residents also submitted their response to the State's position on the status of the outpost, saying that they were told by official government sources that they could stay in the outpost if they purchase the land, but after doing so the State is still seeking to evict them.
The residents further noted that the State's claim, by which there is no access road to the outpost that does not pass on private Palestinian land, does not stand the test of time, adding that there are two access roads to the outpost – one for regular vehicles and one just for four wheel drive vehicles.
Peace Now organization stated in response that the settlers of Migron "put to shame the High Court and humiliate themselves.
"Their list of excuses proves that they never had an intention to evacuate the outpost and all they want is to buy more time. With their conniving behavior, the settlers managed to distance right wing ministers such as Begin and Ya'alon, who lost their patience. The High Court must put an end to this and instruct on an immediate and full evacuation of the outpost."
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