Residents of the community of Ofra will take to the streets of Jerusalem in protest this Tuesday, in order to put pressure on the government to legalize Ofra's legal status.
In an interview with Arutz Sheva, the rabbi of the community, Rabbi Avi Gisser, says, “These protests are crucial until something changes. Fifty years have passed since we received our greatest gift in history,” referring the unification of Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria.
“They didn’t lay the groundwork properly for Jewish settlement," he explained. "Everything was done in the air without any legal basis for any citizen of Judea and Samaria to be considered a legal resident."
"I’m not giving up," he continued. "We aren’t giving up because we believe it’s a critical moment not just for Ofra and Amona but also for Gush Etzion and, this coming year, we will celebrate 50 since the unification of Jerusalem and the settlement of Judea and Samaria.”
“International law views us as non-permanent residents here," he explained. “Anyone who sees this subject as crucial needs to know that this isn’t just a matter of a few houses here and there, but we are speaking about an historical movement for the Jewish people.”
Rabbi Gisser added that it’s only a matter of time before another appeal goes to the Supreme Court in lieu of a legal basis for these communities, adding that he doesn’t expect the Court to side with the communities, but that he does expect the government to ensure their legality and legitimacy. He called upon Israel’s leadership to create a legal basis for Jewish communities everywhere.
“Ofra will do all it can to move things forward and change the minds of those making the decisions,” he concluded.