Two months after the Knesset passed the controversial Regulation Law intended to protect Jewish communities from ex post facto claims of land ownership, the effects of the law are already being felt in towns across Judea and Samaria.
Over the past week the Civil Administration, the authority charged with supervising construction in Judea and Samaria, cancelled four demolition orders against buildings in the town of Psagot in Samaria, Army Radio reported on Monday.
In addition, seven other stop work and demolition orders against buildings in Samaria are expected to be cancelled. The seven buildings in question include five in the predominantly haredi town of Modiin Illit and two in Kochav Hashachar near the Jordan River Valley.
Attorney Boaz Arazi, who represents the owners of the properties in Psagot, explained the effect of the Regulation Law.
“This is the harbinger of what the Regulation Law will bring. The freezing of enforcement processes against construction is intended to give the Civil Administration a chance to implement the [Regulation] Law and ensure that outrageous cases like the destruction of houses in Ofra, which have no point, won’t be repeated.”
The far-left Peace Now group lamented the cancellation of the stop work orders.
“This story reveals the true importance of the Regulation Law,” said Hagit Ofra. “The law was intended to prevent the expulsion of innocent families, but now we see that really this law enables settlers to build with no restrictions and to continue to steal.”