Thousands of protestors are poised to oppose the State's oncoming demolition forces. Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is expected to give the order to proceed with the demolition of the nine houses.
During the night, the Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria (Yesha) brokered a deal between the construction company which built the nine disputed homes and Attorney General Menachem Mazuz by which authorization would be given to rebuild the nine homes in a nearby location under condition that the Yesha Council would itself dismantle the homes. Mazuz presented the offer to Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert who rejected the proposal outright, opting to proceed with the demolition of the homes.
Upon hearing Olmert's response, the Yesha Council appealed to the Supreme Court Justice on duty Elyakim Rubenstein to delay the demolition of the Jewish homes for one week to look into the above proposal. Rubenstein agreed to issue a restraining order halting the demolition until a court panel deliberates the proposal at 8:00am Wednesday.
Three justices were on the panel which ruled at 9:30am against delaying the demolition. Judges Edna Arbel and Ayala Procaccia rejected the petition while Justice Elyakim Rubenstein favored a week-long delay.
At 3:00am Wednesday before the restraining order was issued, the State's demolition forces began making their way to Amona, and the many thousands of protestors sleeping at the site were awakened by sirens and told to man positions to passively resist the oncoming forces. The many thousands of anti-demolition protestors who could see the IDF and police approaching began moving into pre-assigned positions to assume various roles designed to impede the arrival of the forces.
At 4:30am, when the loudspeakers at Amona announced that a restraining order had been issued, the thousands of protestors, primarily youth activists, broke out into spontaneous song and dance.
Protestors from nearby Bet El suddenly erected a road block made of their own cars and boulders on the main road leading from Jerusalem to Amona and its adjacent sister town Ofrah. It is not known how the protestors passed through the military inspection points which were erected along the road to prevent such activity. The IDF and police removed the roadblock and arrested several protestors.
During the night, the Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria (Yesha) brokered a deal between the construction company which built the nine disputed homes and Attorney General Menachem Mazuz by which authorization would be given to rebuild the nine homes in a nearby location under condition that the Yesha Council would itself dismantle the homes. Mazuz presented the offer to Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert who rejected the proposal outright, opting to proceed with the demolition of the homes.
Upon hearing Olmert's response, the Yesha Council appealed to the Supreme Court Justice on duty Elyakim Rubenstein to delay the demolition of the Jewish homes for one week to look into the above proposal. Rubenstein agreed to issue a restraining order halting the demolition until a court panel deliberates the proposal at 8:00am Wednesday.
Three justices were on the panel which ruled at 9:30am against delaying the demolition. Judges Edna Arbel and Ayala Procaccia rejected the petition while Justice Elyakim Rubenstein favored a week-long delay.
At 3:00am Wednesday before the restraining order was issued, the State's demolition forces began making their way to Amona, and the many thousands of protestors sleeping at the site were awakened by sirens and told to man positions to passively resist the oncoming forces. The many thousands of anti-demolition protestors who could see the IDF and police approaching began moving into pre-assigned positions to assume various roles designed to impede the arrival of the forces.
At 4:30am, when the loudspeakers at Amona announced that a restraining order had been issued, the thousands of protestors, primarily youth activists, broke out into spontaneous song and dance.
Protestors from nearby Bet El suddenly erected a road block made of their own cars and boulders on the main road leading from Jerusalem to Amona and its adjacent sister town Ofrah. It is not known how the protestors passed through the military inspection points which were erected along the road to prevent such activity. The IDF and police removed the roadblock and arrested several protestors.