On The Chopping Block Tomorrow: Nine Homes In Ofra
Just weeks after the state destroyed homes in Amona and evicted its residents, nine homes in nearby Ofra are targeted for demolition. New homes have not yet been built for the Amona residents, and it is anticipated that the Regulations Law recently passed will be found “unconstitutional”, even though Israel does not have a constitution.
Arutz Sheva has the story:
High Court rejects Ofra petition – houses to be demolished
High Court justices announced this afternoon (Monday) their rejection of Ofra resident’s petition asking not to demolish nine homes slated for demolition.
The judges did not accept the resident’s request to seal the nine houses rather than demolish them and also clarified the regulatory law does not apply to them.
Last Wednesday the state responded to Ofra resident’s request that the nine houses not be destroyed but rather sealed.
In its response, the state argued that the Regulation Law does not apply to these nine houses. The state noted that it did not believe there is reason not to destroy the homes and thus its position is that the request should be rejected.
This morning IDF forces deployed at checkpoints in east Benjamin in preparation for the destruction of the nine houses, which is planned for tomorrow (Tuesday)
The purpose of the checkpoints is to deny access to activists wishing to visit and protest the destruction, and to redirect their movements into controllable arrest zones.
Police forces arrived yesterday in one of the nine homes, which is not inhabited, and began to evacuate teenagers staying there with plans to protest against the destruction.
After coordinating with Ofra’s youth coordinator, the teenagers left the building without confrontation and troops stood down.