Police use force to evacuate Maale Shai
Police use force to evacuate Maale ShaiCourtesy of Maale Shai residents

Border Police forces arrived at the new outpost of Maale Shai this afternoon and evacuated the seven structures that were erected just today, in memory of Rabbi Shai Ohayon Hy”d, who was stabbed to death in a terror attack at the Segula junction in Petah Tikva yesterday.

תיעוד: פינוי המאחז בבנימיןצילום: באדיבות 'מעלה שי'

Three families along with dozens of youths had established the community, near the village of Sinjil in the Binyamin region, noting that, “The Palestinian Authority does not see itself as bound by any agreement, and so we ask that the Israeli government enable Jews to settle in all parts of the Land of Israel.”

The Choosing Life Forum of bereaved families supported the establishment of the new community, calling on Prime Minister Netanyahu to demolish the home of the terrorist who killed Rabbi Ohayon, a father of four, and leave Maale Shai intact.

However, Maale Shai stood for just a few hours before Border Police arrived to evacuate the residents and demolish the structures they had erected. Residents alleged that police used violence to remove them.

In response, a police statement noted that one person was arrested on suspicion of attacking police, resulting in an officer sustaining light injuries.

“From our initial investigation, it appears that the person who can be seen on the roof in the video barricaded himself there, clasping his hands tightly so that he could not be brought down,” the statement read. “While trying to remove him from the structure, he resisted, and police had to use force to remove him. Nonetheless, the incident will be investigated as are all similar incidents.”