Court okays evacuation of Mitzpeh Yitzhar outpost

The High Court of Justice gave the army permission Sunday to evacuate the West Bank outpost of Mitzpeh Yitzhar, rejecting residents' petition against the move, Army Radio reported.

The court also ordered the residents of the outpost, located south of Nablus, to pay the NIS 5,000 cost of the state's legal fees.

The High Court's decision came after the Israel Defense Forces rejected a compromise, according to which residents would willingly evacuate the outpost while the buildings there wouldn't be demolished.

Justice Edmund Levy criticized the IDF's refusal to accept the compromise, which he characterized as a way in which potentially difficult evacuation situations could be resolved, Army Radio reported.

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Read more...

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/428459.html

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"Protesters were clashing with security forces attempting to dismantle the illegal West Bank outpost of Mitzpeh Yitzhar on Monday. Some 300 protesters were at the site to prevent the evacuation of the outpost."

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"Settlers had dug trenches on access roads to the Mitzpeh Yitzhar outpost in order to prevent Israeli military vehicles from reaching the outpost to dismantle it.
A number of vehicles were stuck in the trenches for several hours.

Bus loads of additional protesters, led by Rabbi Shlomo Avinar, who heads the Ateret Cohanim yeshiva and is the rabbi of Beit El A in the West Bank , were also attempting to make their way to the outpost.

Many settlers from surrounding settlements were making their way to the outpost to show their solidarity. Buses were also bringing in more protesters from the Gush Katif bloc of settlements in Gaza, Netanya, Jerusalem and Ramat Gan.
Samaria Police told Israel Radio that protesters had set surrounding fields alight and had blocked off all access routes to the outpost."

Were there as well. Organised right out of their gleaming new Jerusalem office.

http://www.maarivenglish.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=article&articleID=7457

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Senior officer: Defense Ministry opposed High Court proposal to compromise. Structure demolished after settlers, who physically tried to block its path, were forcefully removed by police. Police arrests 38

"According to a senior military official, the Israel Defense Forces supported the High Court’s proposed compromise to prevent the destruction of the Mitzpe Yitzhar outpost. According to the proposal, the settlers were to evacuate the outpost in exchange for a pledge that the army would not to demolish the house until a decision is made regarding its legal ownership.

The settlers agreed to the compromise and were surprised when the army rejected it. Now it seems that the IDF actually did agree to the justices’ proposal but the Ministry of Defense was opposed. Since both sides did not agree, the compromise was not adopted and the building destroyed.

An IDF bulldozer razed the only structure at the illegal outpost of Mitzpe Yitzhar this afternoon. After settlers who tried to physically block its path but were forcefully removed by police forces.

After almost three hours of unsuccessful attempts to saw off the structure, which settlers covered with cement, the army decided to call in the bulldozer. Police have arrested 38 settlers so far, 18 were later released."