Israel Matzav

Migron deal falls apart

As noted in the flyer above - which was being handed out to motorists around Jerusalem ten days ago - the 'outpost' of Migron has an order of the Supreme Court hanging over it, which calls for it to be destroyed and its residents expelled by the end of March 2012. There is probably a majority in the Knesset for 'legalizing' the outposts, but the Netanyahu-Barak government doesn't want to go that route. Instead, Minister Benny Begin was sent to make a deal with the residents that would see them moved to land that is not 'privately owned.' (Of course, those of you who read Hebrew already know from reading the flyer above that the land on which Migron sits is not privately owned - no actual land owner has ever been proven).

On Monday morning, word came through that the compromise that was worked out by Begin has fallen apart. The residents of Migron say that Begin went back on his word. And Begin said that the government will ask the country's real rulers - the 'Supreme Court' - to put off Migron's destruction until 2015. This is from the first link.

The deal was set to be signed this week but negotiations ultimately failed. Is has yet to be officially determined who owns the land on which the Migron outpost sits.

According to agreements reached between the parties, the court was meant to rule on who owns the land before any permanent structures would be razed. It was also agreed that the residents would move to the new location only after the completion of the construction work. The government promised to finish planning the construction of permanent structures in the new location within nine months, after which infrastructure work will commence.

Binyamin Regional Council's Migron is the biggest outpost in the West Bank and includes 60 structures. Palestinian residents and Peace Now petitioned the High Court against the outpost's legality in October 2006. Last August judges ruled that the State must clear Migron by the end of March 2012.

Negotiations on the evacuation have been going on for the past year and a half, during which various compromises were raised. The dispute over house razing ultimately prevented any agreement from being signed.

In any normal country, if ownership by someone else could be proven, given that the government built all the infrastructure and sent these people there (yes, that's what's been left out of the article - for those who read Hebrew, go read the flyer at the top), you would compensate the proven landowner and let these people stay in their homes. But this is not a normal country.... Here's what Benny Begin had to say.

Likud Minister Benny Begin on Monday called on residents of the West Bank outpost of Migron to sign a deal to relocate their homes 2 kilometers away, saying he would ask the High Court of Justice to give the settlers until 2015 to do so.

Begin held a press conference on the issue after Likud MK Danny Danon and National Union MK Uri Ariel said Sunday evening that that talks broke down over the conditions under which the homes would be relocated.

...

Danon said Sunday that the state insisted that the outpost must be relocated within two-and-a-half years, irrespective of whether new homes have been built for the Migron residents.

Ariel added that the state balked at accepting a condition by the settlers that the status of the land be adjudicated first, before the homes are destroyed.

Begin said that he would ask the High Court of Justice to allow the settlers until November 30, 2015 to relocate in order to give them time to build new homes. He said that following the relocation, the Migron outpost land would be turned over to the Civil Administration.

The Likud minister said that all 48 families in Migron must sign the agreement before the government can present it to the High Court.

In other words, the actual status of the land on which their homes are located has not been adjudicated, but the State wants these people to agree to move without knowing when their promised replacement homes - 2 kilometers away - will be ready. It's been six and a half years since the government expelled nearly 10,000 Jews from Gaza and most of them don't have homes yet. Why would anyone trust the Israeli government to carry out this kind of deal?

Labels: Benny Begin, Danny Danon, Migron, Supreme Court

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:23 PM