In response to the destruction of a Jewish neighborhood in Samaria on Thursday morning, Shomron Regional Council head Gershon Mesika has sent a telegram to all the Likud Party ministers in the government. “Has a new government really been established in Israel?” the telegram asks. “Or is the left, headed by Defense Minister Barak, still in power?”
Many in the nationalist camp have expressed the hope of late that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s government would do away with the previous government’s decrees against Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria. However, no sign of such has yet materialized – and, in fact, the opposite occurred this morning when forces arrived in eastern Binyamin to destroy the Jewish neighborhood of Meoz Esther.
Another Building Destroyed
In addition, the Binyamin Residents Committee reported around noon that police forces were destroying yet another Jewish building – this time in the recognized town of Kokhav Yaakov.
“Defense Minister Barak and his friends on the left are celebrating Jerusalem Liberation Day – which also marks the day of the liberation of Judea – by destroying Jewish communities,” the Committee noted bitterly.
Rebuilding Begins
The Youth for the Land of Israel movement succeeded in bringing 100 members and others to Meoz Esther within 90 minutes of the destruction, and rebuilding has begun. “Barak is out of touch with the national spirit,” a statement released by the movement stated. “His attempts to harm the outposts and Jewish settlement are in direct opposition to what the public wants and voted for in the last elections.”
"In Total Opposition to the Voter's Choice"
Meir Bertler, one of the founders and residents of Meoz Esther, said, “The policy of destroying outposts stands in total opposition to the democratic choice of the voter. The nation voted right-wing, and we will make sure that the nation will receive right-wing. The outposts will continue to develop, and Meoz Esther will double in size. The failed, pitiful policy of destruction, evictions and expulsion in the Land of Israel has to stop, and it will.”
Other reactions to the destruction of Meoz Esther:
MK Yaakov Katz (Ketzaleh): “Defense Minister Ehud Barak and his assistant for the destruction of the settlement enterprise in Yesha, Eitan Baroshi, continue to put the Netanyahu government to the test every day, by checking to what extent the radical left policies can undermine the government which was elected by those who love the Land of Israel. I expect the Prime Minister to put Barak in his place and to restrain his assistant’s flagrant over-eagerness.”
MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union): “Netanyahu must fire Barak. It’s true that Netanyahu makes the sounds of a Prime Minister, but the one dictating policy on the ground is Defense Minister Barak.”
Avi Roeh, who heads the Binyamin Regional Council, arrived at the site shortly after the destruction, and promised, “Meoz Esther will be rebuilt and will be even larger than before.”
Peace Now’s response: “The destruction of this little mini-outpost is just a PR trick, and cannot substitute for the destruction of big outposts in the territories.”