Defense Minister Ehud Barak will tell the High Court he has decided to stop all building in Ofra but recognize all houses that are involved in legal questions without destroying houses in dispute, the Hebrew-language daily Yisrael HaYom (Israel Today) reported Monday morning. Arabs, with the support of the Peace Now movement, have asked the court to order to order the destruction of nine houses that they say are on land they own.
The Defense Minster will explain that his suggestion will prevent a confrontation with residents of Ofra, which has grown to a large town of several hundreds families from only 70 families 25 years ago. Considered the flagship of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, it is located on Highway 60 in northern Samaria and approximately 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) north of Jerusalem.
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