The High Court ruled Monday that the state must immediately tear down a security fence near the Samaria village of Bilin and rebuild it elsewhere. In addition, the court ordered to state to pay Bilin's mayor 10,000 shekels for his legal expenses.
Residents of the Palestinian Authority-controlled village of Bilin have protested for months that the separation barrier running through Judea and Samaria runs too close to their village. Villagers claim the barrier was built on their land. Six months ago they protested to the High Court, which ordered the government to move the barrier in order to leave more land available to residents of Bilin.
The government did not move the barrier, and PA politicians filed a second suit. The High Court slammed the state in its second ruling, accusing the government of moving too slowly. The court disapproved of the barrier's new route as planned by security officials, and said the state must pick a different route in order to leave even more land available to Bilin.
State attorneys argued that the route chosen by the court would harm Israeli interests. The new route impedes construction in the Israeli city of Matityahu, they said.
Construction of the Judea and Samaria barrier began several years ago and is ongoing. The barrier has been met by violent protests in several PA villages, including Bilin, which has been the site of weekly attacks on IDF soldiers and border police.
Foreign leftists and Israeli anarchists have joined local Arabs in protesting the barrier. Israeli nationalists have held protests in support of border police who staff sites where the barrier is under construction.
Construction of the barrier has slowed over the past year due to funding shortages. Much of the budget for the barrier has been spent tearing it down and rebuilding according to High Court rulings.