After an extended legal battle, Civil Administration inspectors on Wednesday morning arrived at the road leading to Givon Hahadasha in Samaria just northwest of Jerusalem, where they demolished an illegal Arab commercial center that was built in breach of the law.
The center was put up in a region where building is forbidden and endangers motorists driving on the adjacent highway.
Two years ago, the Regavim movement for Jewish national property rights petitioned the High Court over the center, leading to an intermediate order obligating the Arab owner to cease construction until the legality was clarified.
Despite the order, and despite his obligations, the owner continued his illegal construction.
Four months ago, in a discussion of the petition, the High Court judges decided the incident constituted an extreme breach of the law and contempt of the court order, and therefore they ordered the Civil Administration to demolish the center.
However the demolition was postponed, as the Arab owner requested to carry it out himself due to his obligations. He was ordered to follow through with his promise within 60 days.
But once again the Arab owner ignored the court, and after four months went by without any demolition, the Civil Administration destroyed the illegal structure itself.
"There is an important message in the demolition - the Palestinians aren't above the law either," said the Regavim movement. "It's impossible to allow illegal building amid contempt of the court and its orders."
"The time has come for the law enforcement system in general and the Civil Administration in specific deal seriously with the illegal building of Palestinians in Area C" that is under full Israeli control, said Regavim. "This is a serious phenomenon, and if we don't deal with it today it will only get worse."
Regavim recently revealed in a report that the European Union (EU) is actively aiding the Palestinian Authority (PA) in illegal Arab construction, particularly in Area C in an attempt to change facts on the ground and create a de facto Palestinian State.