Right-wing activists hope to show wide support among Israeli public for outpost of 50 families that faces demolition.
By TOVAH LAZAROFFMigron outpost aerial_311(photo credit: Baz Ratner / Reuters)
Right-wing activists are looking to bring thousands of demonstrators to the Migron outpost on Tuesday to rally against its impending demolition.The small hilltop community in the Binyamin region is under a double threat. The first and more imminent, is the demolition of three homes.RELATED:Settlers: Migron’s last stand?Rivlin urges government to authorize Migron outpostThe state had told the court at the end of July that it would take down the homes in the coming weeks, and not any later than September.According to Yesh Din attorney Michael Sfard, who filed a petition against the homes, the demolitions could take place sometime in September.
Settlers on Migron said they too believe the homes could be taken down in the coming weeks. Initially they had hoped the demolition would be deferred to March.Now settlers said they feared the destruction of the three homes could move forward, possibly even closer to the start of the month than the end, so as not to coincide with anticipated Palestinian protests later in September regarding a unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood.The second and more significant threat to Migron comes from a recent High Court of Justice decision that the entire outpost is illegally constructed on private Palestinian property, and as such must be evacuated by the end of March. The decision was in response to a petition by Peace Now.On Tuesday, Migron settlers and right-wing activists hope to show that the community of 50 families has wide support within the Israeli public.Migron settlers and rightwing activists believe that politics has prevented the authorization of the outpost, which was constructed with funding from the Ministry of Housing and Construction. Settlers claim it was built on land which was either abandoned property or purchased from Palestinians.The head of the Binyamin Citizens’ Committee, Itzik Shadmi, said that the point of the rally was to show that Migron residents were living normal lives, in spite of threats against their community.As such, the rally features both children’s events and political speakers, including politicians from the National Union, Binyamin Regional Council head Avi Ro’eh, and Samaria Regional Council head Gershon Mesika, as well as rabbinical figures.“We want to show that life goes on as usual,” said Shadmi.But he added that the rally was also meant as a warning signal.“The thousands [who] come are only the tip of the forces that would arrive to protest against the evil, stupid and unnecessary destruction [of Migron],” he said.
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