MK Eldad filmed rebuilding illegal structure at Beit El

By REBECCA ANNA STOIL
After two days of violent confrontations between law enforcement officials and activists in Beit El, MK Arye Eldad (National Union) was filmed Wednesday apparently helping to rebuild a structure that had been destroyed by the civil administration in the West Bank settlement.
Eldad’s office said that, as of Thursday, they had not received any complaints or official responses after the pictures were revealed on Ynet.
The structure in question had been destroyed by the civil administration after it claimed that it was built in defiance of the new building freeze underway in the West Bank since November.
On Tuesday, violent confrontations erupted when police arrived in the settlement to provide security for the demolition of the structure. Ultimately, 30 protesters and eight police were wounded in the confrontations, which took place almost simultaneously with a Knesset hearing discussing a previous confrontation in Beit El.
National Union Chairman MK Ya’acov Katz and Eldad both participated in the Wednesday ceremony, organized by the Komemiyut organization, to rebuild a structure on the site, and it was there that Eldad was filmed drilling into the wall of the building.
“Regrettably, I did not participate in the initial building, but Iwould be happy if you would include me in the rebuilding now,” Eldadtold around 150 activists who arrived at the scene of the demolition torebuild a day later. “Should the need arise, I would be happy to beinvited for additional building. We will be victorious through thehammer and nail, and our true determination.”
Katz, one of the first founders of the northern Judean Hills community,compared the youth of Beit El to King David, “complete in their love ofTorah, the Jewish people and the land.”
Katz added that he would continue the struggle against “attempts by theprime minister and the defense minister to uproot the activities of thepublic that is faithful to the Torah and to the Land of Israel.”