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Ha'aretz: "High Court orders Israel to speed up outpost demolitions"

By Chaim Levinson

The High Court of Justice demanded yesterday that the government submit a detailed timetable for the razing of 16 homes built in the unauthorized West Bank outposts of Hayovel and Harsha.

In 2005, Peace Now filed a petition against the construction of nine homes in Hayovel, which is on the outskirts of the settlement of Eli, and seven structures in Harsha, which is near the Talmon bloc.

One of the homes in Hayovel belongs to the widow of fallen Israel Defense Forces soldier Roi Klein, who was killed when he jumped on a grenade to save nearby comrades during the Second Lebanon War.

In response to the Peace Now petition, the state declared that it viewed the buildings as illegal and that they would be dismantled, yet the process would be carried out according to a timetable determined by the defense establishment.

Last July, the High Court justices said they were unconvinced by the state's position and that they wished to see a detailed timetable that would be formulated subject to a hearing for the outposts' residents.

Last January, pressure from rightwing politicians compelled the state to postpone the razing of the structures due to the resources it had allocated toward enforcing the freeze in West Bank settlement construction.

In addition, the state said it intended to examine whether the areas fall under the category of state land which would pave the way for their authorization or whether they are under private Palestinian ownership.

High Court Justices Dorit Beinisch, Yoram Danziger, and Elyakim Rubinstein rejected the state's arguments yesterday.

"In July, our ruling was issued whereby we explicitly noted that under the circumstances we considered a wholesale demolition order, but due to the need for a hearing we refrained from doing do," the justices wrote in their decision. "Nonetheless, it appears that our ruling was only partially implemented."

"The High Court of Justice has had enough of the efforts by the settlers and the state to bide their time," Peace Now secretary general Yariv Oppenheimer said in response to yesterday's ruling. "It is unfortunate that the defense minister has been forced to put the High Court in such a problematic situation. We hope that Ehud Barak's office will get the hint and carry out the court decision."

The two outposts in question enjoy widespread support among settlers. Defense officials fear that their evacuation could trigger violent clashes with settlers throughout the West Bank.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1150421.html

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Ynet: "State on illegal outpost: Delay in relocating settlers"

Peace Now petitions High Court, says no progress in plan to relocate Migron settlers in Adam. State: There was delay of some months

By Aviad Glickman

About eight months ago Defense Minister Ehud Barak approved the construction of 50 homes in the Adam settlement for settlers relocated from Migron, as part of the program for relocating the illegal outpost. However, it became apparent Wednesday that the Defense Ministry is not keeping to schedule.

The state prosecutor told the High Court that there had been a delay of some months in submitting the plan for constructing the new neighborhood in Adam, where the residents of Migron are due to move. This is contrary to the state's declaration that the plan would be submitted for approval by the beginning of 2010.

The state's response was submitted to the court after Peace Now told the court about a month ago that despite the state's commitment, nothing had yet been done.

In the notice submitted to the court, the petitioners claimed that up until a month ago, the plan had not been submitted to allow objections to the construction of the new neighborhood, and therefore the state's estimation that the planning process would be completed by the middle of 2010 was nothing but a dream. As a result of the notice, Supreme Court President Dorit Beinish instructed the state to update the plan. The state, in response, confirmed that there had been delays of some months and that the plan had in fact been submitted a few days ago. The notice also said that it would be possible to submit objections to the plan up until April, after which the Planning Committee's subcommittee for objections would discuss the objections and reach a decision regarding the plan.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3850362,00.html

High Court to state: Expedite demolition in illegal West Bank outposts

Justices say state failed to razed structures in Hayovel, Harsha despite being given ample time to do so.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3850873,00.html