IDF General Avi Mizrachi, head of Central Command, opposed plans to demolish three homes in Migron, a Jewish community that falls into his realm of command, according to information that reached Arutz Sheva on Sunday.
Mizrachi had assured residents of Migron that if their homes were to be destroyed, the demolition would be preceded by attempts to reach a compromise, and would not happen suddenly in the middle of the night. He warned Barak that security threats in the region made the demolition imprudent.
However, Defense Minister Ehud Barak pushed for the demolition despite Mizrachi’s objections, and ordered that the homes be demolished in a midnight operation that left many angry at the lack of respect for those expelled from their homes.
It was earlier revealed that Barak continued with the planned demolition despite being aware of a court injunction delaying the destruction. Barak leaned on Attorney Osnat Mandel, director of the department of Supreme Court petitions, urging her to allow the demolition to continue. Barak told Mandel that without her approval, troops already at the scene could be at risk.
In the weeks before the demolition, residents of Migron and leaders of the Yesha (Judea and Samaria) Council met with top government officials in an attempt to reach a compromise that would allow homes in Migron to remain standing. The two sides had come close to a deal when Barak carried out the surprise demolition.