Demolition in Modiin Illit
Demolition in Modiin IllitIsrael news photo: Hezki Ezra

Dozens protested on Thursday night outside the home of Minister of Internal Affairs Eli Yishai, the head of the Shas Knesset faction. Protesters criticized Yishai for sitting in the government while it freezes construction for Jews in Judea and Samaria and demolishes homes.

"There is a price to demolition. This is only the beginning,” protesters said. Demonstrations took place outside the home of Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe Yaalon, at the Shilat junction, and at the Jerusalem city entrance as well.

Two homes were destroyed Thursday morning in the city of Modiin Illit (Kiryat Sefer). A group of residents attempted to prevent the demolition, but were unsuccessful.

Samaria Regional Council head Gershon Mesika accused the government of destroying homes on which construction had begun prior to the building freeze, despite the fact that the continuation of ongoing construction projects was to have been permitted according to the freeze order.

The Committee to Save the People and the Land called on the hareidi-religious Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) factions to leave the coalition. “Minister Attias admits that there is a construction freeze in Jerusalem, homes are destroyed in Modiin Illit, and the hareidi parties are accomplices to the crimes perpetrated by the Netanyahu government,” the group said in a statement.

"They will not be able to say 'Our hands have not shed this blood,'” the group warned.

Hareidi-religious parties promised during their campaign that they would solve the severe housing shortage in the hareidi community, said activist Shai Gefen. Instead, he said, “they are partners to the freeze and the demolitions. Responsibility demands that they leave the government immediately.”

Shas officials responded to criticism, saying, “Shas is the only party that objects to the construction freeze, and will maintain that position despite the pressures it faces to support it.”