The Regavim Movement for safeguarding national lands appealed to the Minister of Defense Friday and demanded the immediate destruction of illegal mansions built by Arabs near Hussan and El Hadr, west of Bethlehem.
Attorney Amir Fisher, who represents the movement, noted in a letter that there should be no problem to carry out the demolition immediately, now that the Civilian Administration has recruited dozens of new building inspectors.
The movement appealed to the High Court a year ago and demanded that the buildings be torn down, and the State admitted that the structures were illegal. It stated, however, that it is the body authorized to determine the order of priority in enforcing the law, and that due to a lack of manpower, it wants to delay the demolitions. The High Court expressed “discomfort” with the illegal building but accepted the state's position.
Now that dozens of inspectors are being added to the ranks of the Civilian Administration, Attorney Fisher turned anew to the Minister of Defense and to the Central Command head in a demand to tear down the villas. “In view of the meaningful increase in the enforcement authorities' manpower in the last few days, the State can no longer hide behind the claim that it lacks the resources for carrying out the necessary enforcement actions,” he wrote.
Fisher said that destruction of buildings in advanced stages of construction is at the top of the enforcement authorities' priorities, according to past statements by the State in the High Court.
Regavim noted that the buildings are huge villas, and some can be considered “luxurious castles” in the final stages of construction. “While inspectors chase after foundations or half-empty lots [owned by Jews],” the movement stated, “it is strange that they ignore illegal outposts containing dozens of houses.”