Separation fence in Bilin
צילום: איי פי
State to halt construction in settlement
In High Court hearing on Peace Now petition against illegal neighborhood in Modi'in Ilit, State says will stop construction, may launch criminal investigation into contractors
The state will halt construction of new residencies in the Matityahu East neighborhood of the West Bank settlement of Modi’in Ilit, the State Prosecutor's Office announced Wednesday during a High Court of Justice hearing on the matter.
In addition, the state is considering launching a criminal investigation into the private contracting companies that began building in the neighborhood illegally.
The petition against construction in the settlement was filed by left-wing group Peace Now together with the council of the neighboring Palestinian village Biliin, and it charged that the new neighborhood was being built illegally on Palestinian land.
The High Court hearing was presided over by Judges Aharon Barak, Ayala Procaccia and Salim Jubran, and focused on the contractors' request to cancel the court’s two-month-old injunction to stop construction. The injunction forbade the continuation of construction as well as the housing of new tenants in the recently completed homes.
The petition claimed that Biliin’s Palestinian residents were not given the opportunity to express opposition to the project and were not provided the blueprints for construction.
The contractors, on the other hand, claimed that since numerous families had already purchased living units and taken out mortgages, construction should be allowed to continue and should be retroactively approved.
Final ruling expected
“This is an immense construction project,” Peace Now Secretary-General Yariv Oppenheimer said. “If we were talking about nine caravans and nine families in Amona, in comparison here we are seeing (illegal settlement) on a dizzying scale, truly a whole neighborhood.”
The High Court of Justice has yet to decree whether families can continue to inhabit the apartments which have already been completed, and whether those who have purchased homes can move into them.
At the moment, the court will continue to enforce the injunction forbidding construction and residency, and the final ruling will be handed over at a later date.
“The state’s stance, which forbids the largest illegal construction project in the West Bank, is welcomed. With that, we expect the High Court to forbid people from taking up residency in the houses that have already been completed,” Oppenheimer responded to the ruling.
Since the beginning of construction of the security barrier in Modiin Ilit area near Biliin, it has been the focus point of passionate protest. Every Friday left-wing protestors and local Palestinians demonstrate against the fence and the expropriation of the villagers’ lands.
Peace Now petitioned against construction in the settlement claiming that the state illegally annexed lands belonging Biliin residents.
Roughly one year ago, the Israel Land Administration's full plan for development in the West Bank was published, and it included the legalization of 120 illegal outposts which the United States has demanded Israel dismantle.
The construction planned by the Israel Land Administration, which was headed by Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at the time, includes1,500 housing units in Modiin Ilit among some 4,890 total housing units in the West Bank.
Efrat Weiss contributed to the report
