Amona
AmonaPhoto by Tomer Neuberg/Flash90

The state announced Monday afternoon to the Supreme Court that it is standing behind the Amona draft plan concluded together with the Amona residents and it is requesting that the court reject Palestinian objections to the plan.

The state maintained that the petition should be dismissed as there is no legal basis for court intervention in the decision to take control of certain plots in the lands of the village of Silwad.

The state responded that "In the special circumstances of this matter, with the goal of the draft plan being to maintain order and security, based on security official's opinions and with no other alternative for achieving a peaceful evacuation which would not disrupt public order in the area.

Since the nature of the change is localized, specific and short term and refers to a very limited space- the state is of the opinion that changing the present status does not violate the conditions in directive 43. As stated above, the evacuation of Amona has unique features. It is a sensitive topic with security ramifications which transcend the area of the evacuation itself. Therefore the military commanders and political echelons which rely on the assessments of the security officials, maintain that there is a significant security interest in obtaining a solution which will enable a peaceful evacuation of Amona.

In this situation and in light of the fact that we are dealing with a short-term solution which provides an answer to a significant public need of maintaining public order and security, the state maintains that there is enough basis for the legislation of directive 1777, despite the fact that there is a slight deviation from the general directive regarding abandoned properties and the planning and construction laws pertinent to this area."

Earlier, hundreds participated Monday morning in a Jerusalem protest against the demolition of Amona, scheduled for no later than next Wednesday.

A march was held from the Israel Museum to the Botanical Garden prior to the demonstration. Heading the marchers were mayors from Judea and Samaria, and the residents of Amona.

Participants included Rabbi Haim Druckman, Rabbi Eli Sadan, Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, Rabbi Zalman Melamed, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, Nobel Laureate Professor Israel Aumann, Professor Aryeh Eldad, Yesha Council Chairman and Binyamin Regional Council head Avi Roeh, Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, Acting Chairman of Gush Etzion Regional Council Moshe Seville, Mayor of Mount Hevron Yochai Damari, Mayor of Kiryat Arba-Hevron Malachi Levinger, Beit El Council head Shai Alon, and Mayor of Beit Aryeh Avi Naim.

The protest's joint headquarters issued a statement: "The regulation law appearing before the Knesset today is the result of the persistent and just struggle of Amona's residents - we will not allow the government to abandon them to their fate and leave them outside the law. We are here today to say loud and clear: Bold leadership is required. Leadership with red lines. Erasing a 20-year-old community is a red line, and it won't pass quietly. We are all with Amona's residents in their struggle."

Avi Roeh added that "we have come to Jerusalem and closed the regional councils in Judea, Samaria and other localities to come to the Knesset and to the Prime Minister's office and to protest that until this time there are still communities and thousands of families in Judea and Samaria under threat of eviction. This tool of demolishing houses threatens families.

"After 50 years of Israeli presence in Judea and Samaria, and after we have reached nearly half a million residents and citizens of the State of Israel, we must terminate this saga and regulate the communities in Judea and Samaria. We hope that with the second and third readings of the Regulation Law the government will investigate the matter and regulate once and for all the communities," said Roeh.

The regulation law is expected to come to the Knesset floor for a vote this afternoon, but it does not include the clause that applies the law to judgments that have already been decided by the courts. Therefore, Amona and the nine houses in Ofra are slated to be evacuated in coming days.