A day after the removal of Article 7 - which would retroactively normalize the status of Amona and prevent the destruction of the community - from the Regulation Law, some 20 Likud activist leaders took a tour this afternoon of Amona and met with community leaders.
Avichai Buaron, one of the leaders of Amona and its struggle to prevent the destruction of the community, said that, out of the 124 acres (500 dunam) on which Amona is built, only half an acre (2 dunam) is subject to an ownership claim.
Buaron also noted: “The Likud members realized that we’re talking about a thriving community which stands in a strategic location. Similarly, it was made clear to them during the tour that we the residents are standing strong and do not intend to back down. The activists were surprised to discover that, because of half an acre, they are evacuating a community - which was erected legally by the government of Israel. They promised they would work hard with the PM so that Amona stays in place.”
Mati Yitzhak, a member of the Likud secretariat and Chairman of the Likud branch in Rosh Ha’ayin, said during the tour: “We promise ourselves that Amona will remain in place, because this is the way it should rightfully be. We will work with full force to ensure this effort is successful. There is nothing more just than this.”
Chairwoman of the Likud branch in Ra’anana, Racheli Ben Ari Skaat, said during the tour that “it was important for me to come today to Amona and understand what was being talked about - and nothing is better than seeing first-hand. 40 families, among them 100 adults and 200 children, are set to lose their homes, and we came to give them strength.
Instead of Article 7 in the Regulation Law, which would reverse a decision already issued by the courts, the agreement between the Prime Minister and the Jewish Home states that Amona is to be moved to another portion of the mountain it is built on where the absentee property law holds. The Regulation Law without Article 7 deals with areas that were not brought to the courts.
"This is no light matter, and I am sure that the PM is not calm regarding the matter and is trying to find the way to solve the issue. Nobody wants to hurt a Jewish community, and we need to remember that you don’t evacuate or uproot Jews from their homes. I believe that a solution will be found and Amona will not be evacuated, since a right wing government will not have a hand in this.”