(IsraelNN.com) Following the Defense Ministry’s announcement that it is going ahead with its plan to relocate the nearly 50 families of Migron to new homes in Adam, the Migronites insist they’re not moving. The Housing Ministry once approved 500 housing units for the hilltop.

Long-time Migron resident Itai Har’el explains: “Inspired by our deep ties to the Bible and to the glorious and historic enterprise of the Jewish People’s return to its Land, we have come to settle in Migron, after we were called upon to do so by many government elements and offices that contributed and helped us. Our plan is to remain here and grow into a town as least as big as the 500 units that the Housing Ministry planned for us to be.”

This point surprised interviewer Shimon Cohen of Arutz-7’s Hebrew newsmagazine, who interrupted at this point and asked for clarification. “Yes,” Har’el said, “it was in 2002-3, shortly after we were officially recognized. The Housing Ministry first had plans for some 80 units, and then received instructions to prepare for another 500.  This was under Ariel Sharon, back when he was still a Zionist… Earthworks even began, and from our standpoint, nothing has changed. We plan to remain here.”

"Ministers Don't Want Us to Leave"
Asked how he can justify refusing to accept a decision by the government to “change its mind,” Har’el said, “On the contrary: the government has not changed its mind, and in fact I have spoken to several Likud ministers who want us to remain exactly where we are. Rather, the Supreme Court responded to a petition by Peace Now, which does all it can to destroy Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria; Peace Now’s strategy is to turn to the Court, where there’s no public discourse or electoral choice, but only the views espoused by [Chief Justice] Dorit Beinisch.”

"Supreme Court is Irrelevant Here"
“As far as I know, there are three branches of government. True, the Supreme Court seems to feel that the three are judicial, judicial, and judicial, but I always learned that there are also the executive and legislative branches. These other two branches built Migron and/or did nothing to destroy it. If anything, the Supreme Court is the irrelevant body in this dispute: There is currently a police investigation underway as to whom the land truly belongs to, as well as two cases before lower courts regarding this matter. So we want the Supreme Court justices, who were not elected, to stand aside until these other proceedings are completed. But they refuse to do so.”

Har’el contested the Arab ownership of the land on which Migron stands – a strategic hilltop overlooking an important highway leading from Jerusalem to Beit El, Ofrah, Shilo and northward.

“Yes,” he said, “our case is based on Jewish principles and historic values, and the like, but we also have a down-to-earth case. We have turned to the courts – even though their standards are not that high, as they are not run according to Jewish Law - to verify our claims that the land is not owned by Arabs.”

The bottom line, as Har’el says, is that “if we wanted to move to Adam, we could have done so, but we chose to settle this important hilltop of Migron, a part of the Land of Israel, and that’s what we will do.”