Ofra homes threatened with demolition
Ofra homes threatened with demolitionCourtesy of Moshe Cohen

The nine families from Ofra now facing eviction appealed to the Supreme Court on Monday, requesting that demolition orders against their homes be replaced with orders to seal the homes – in hopes that one day their status might be normalized.

Like the town of Amona, which was destroyed earlier this month in accordance with an order issued by the Supreme Court, the neighborhood in question inside the town of Amona has become the target of lawsuits filed by far-left NGOs, who say local Arabs have claims to some of the land the neighborhood was built on.

The Supreme Court has not ruled on the facts of the case, nor deliberated on whether such claims of ownership, often based on land grants handed out by the Jordanian government during its occupation of the area from 1948-1967.

Residents say that given the recent passage of the Regulation Law, which provides for claims of land ownership to be carefully examined and, if found to be valid, awarded compensation, there is a strong possibility the legal status of their homes could be normalized.

In light of that, say residents, the court should seal off the homes, rather than destroy them, allowing for a full deliberation on their status in light of the Regulation Law’s passage.