'Settler homes in W. Bank may be razed'

Civil Administration threatens to demolish 46 housing starts.

By TOVAH LAZAROFF
construction work in beitar illit 311 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
construction work in beitar illit 311
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
The Civil Administration this week threatened to demolish at least 46 Jewish housing starts in Judea and Samaria, which it claimed were built in violation of the 10-month moratorium on new settlement construction.
It sent letters to all council and regional council heads in his whose jurisdiction the violations occurred, asking them to take down the housing starts themselves and warning that the administration would destroy the homes if the council heads did not enforce the moratorium.
A security source said the intent here was to work together with the council heads rather than in opposition to them.
The Binyamin and Gush Etzion regional council heads confirmed they had received such a letter, but would not provide details regarding the violations.
Binyamin Regional Council head Avi Ro’eh said he asked the administration to take him on a tour of the building violations so he could assess the situation for himself.
Samaria Regional Council head Gershon Mesika released his list of 46 violations to the media, saying that the homeowners in question plan to appeal the orders, which included demolition notices against six finished homes.
Among the list of moratorium violations in the Samaria region were six housing starts from the Yitzhar settlement.
It was the second time this week that Yitzhar heard from the civil administration.
Sunday the civil administration issued a demolition order against OdYosef Chai Yeshiva, which was completed over a year ago. Thatdemolition order bears no connection to the moratorium. The yeshiva hasclaimed that its building was completed in accordance with zoning lawsand has all the necessary permits, except for the signature of theDefense Ministry.
The office of the IDF coordinator of government activities in theterritories has said that the building has been illegal since workfirst began on it in 1999 and that it was not constructed according tozoning laws.
The Samaria Citizen’s Committee said that on the eve of Jerusalem Day,instead of celebrating the rebuilding of the land of Israel, thegovernment was destroying it.
On Tuesday morning Communications Minister Moshe Kahlon toured theEfrat settlement, telling residents that he would oppose any attempt toextend the moratorium beyond its completion date of September 26.