Supreme Court Rules on Fate of 43 Families in Heart of Israel, by Hillel Fendel (Israel National News)
“We are a continuation of the Zionist enterprise and the Zionist dream – just like all the pioneers who came to the Land of Israel over the centuries, starting with the students of the Gaon of Vilna [early 19th century], and later the First Aliyah [1882-1903], and the Second Aliyah [1904 – 1914], etc. – there is no difference. If anything, we are more in the heart of the Land of Israel than Tel Aviv is.”
Full Text;
The fate of the thriving community of Migron, just north of Jerusalem, is to be determined today by the Supreme Court. Residents fear that its fate will be like that of Amona.
Peace Now, the radical organization working tirelessly to destroy the Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria [Yesha], has petitioned Defense Minister Amir Peretz to order the expulsion of all 43 Jewish families living in Migron.
Peace Now claims that most of land on which Migron was built belongs to Arabs. Migron residents say that Peace Now worked hard to find the Arabs in question and convinced them to file the suit against the Jewish town.
One resident, Aviva W., told Arutz-7, “When we arrived here, it was clear that the land had no claimants and no one working on it… We are a continuation of the Zionist enterprise and the Zionist dream – just like all the pioneers who came to the Land of Israel over the centuries, starting with the students of the Gaon of Vilna [early 19th century], and later the First Aliyah [1882-1903], and the Second Aliyah [1904 – 1914], etc. – there is no difference. If anything, we are more in the heart of the Land of Israel than Tel Aviv is. The only difference is political – an arbitrary difference made based on what is convenient for different politicians at different times – but we are doing the same thing that Land of Israel pioneers have done for generations.”
The residents fear that the Supreme Court will issue a restraining order, meaning that the town will have to be dismantled – but not immediately. “We are praying that this will not happen, of course,” Aviva said, “but if so, it should be clear to all that this is exactly what happened at Amona, and we will be in grave danger of literally being thrown out of our homes and losing yet another Jewish town. The Supreme Court, after all, rules this country…”
It was exactly a year ago this month that hundreds of people – mostly youths protesting the abandonment of the Land of Israel – were injured while protesting the Supreme Court-ordered destruction of nine houses in Amona, just ten kilometers north of Migron. In that incident, as well, Peace Now had petitioned the government to destroy the homes, claiming that they were built on privately-owned, never-worked land.
Today’s Supreme Court session takes place in the shadow of Defense Minister Amir Peretz’s threat to his boss, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, to turn to the Attorney General if Olmert does not begin acting to remove unauthorized Jewish outposts throughout Judea and Samaria. Peretz did not include illegal Arab construction in his ultimatum.
Peretz has been accused of using the outposts to promote his political standing within the Labor Party. Just yesterday, at the weekly Cabinet meeting, Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that Peretz should stop acting as if he is running in party primaries and should start acting more like a Defense Minister.
The judges in the case are Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch, Ayala Procaccia – neither of whom are known to greatly sympathize the Jewish enterprise in Yesha – and Edmond Levy. In June 2005, Levy was the only justice on an 11-judge panel to vote that the Disengagement plan should be struck down.
Migron (mentioned in Samuel I 14,2 and Isaiah 10, 28) is located on a strategically important hill crest, overlooking the highway leading to Beit El, Ofrah, Shilo and the northern Shomron. It is located between Kokhav Yaakov, Psagot and Michmash, about a 12-minute drive north of Jerusalem.
Founded in March 2002, Migron grew quickly, reaching 42 families after only a year and a half – at which point the government abruptly clamped down on further growth. Over 200 people, including well over 100 children, now live there. The synagogue and two homes are in permanent structures, while most of the residents live in caravans (mobile homes without wheels). Six government ministries, the Civil Administration, the Electric Company, Mekorot Water Company and other official bodies have all taken part in establishing infrastructures for the community.
Related Reports: PM Consults Attorney General on Outpost Removal [After Peretz Threat]
Olmert and Peretz on Dismantlements
PM: No Need for ‘Intimacy’ with Peretz Excerpts;
“Olmert pointed out that he and Peretz spoke on the phone on a daily basis.”
“‘There doesn’t have to be an intimate relationship between the prime minister and the defense minister,’ MKs leaving the meeting quoted Olmert as saying. ‘It’s not written in any fundamental law or in the weekly Torah portion.'”