August 20, 2012

JERUSALEM (JTA) — The West Bank outpost of Migron must be evacuated on time, Israel’s State Prosecutor’s office told the Supreme Court.

The eviction had been postponed from Aug. 1 to Aug. 21 to avoid the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and possible “price tag” reprisal attacks by settlers that could have inflamed tensions with Palestinians. Residents of the outpost also had asked the high court to halt the evacuation as it works to verify the claims by some residents that they had purchased the land on which their homes are located.

In March, the Supreme Court ruled against an attempt by the government to postpone to 2015 the demolition of Migron, which the Palestinians say is built on their land. Deferrals against the demolition stretch back to 2006.

The settlers, who deny that Migron is built on private Palestinian land, had signed a deal with the Netanyahu government agreeing to relocate to a nearby hill over the next three years.

About 50 families live in the outpost, which is located some 14 miles north of Jerusalem.
 

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