Ofra Resident: "This is Not Granting Relief for the Sake of Justice"

Jerusalem, 27 February, 2017 (TPS-IL) -- IDF and security forces have begun the process of evicting residents of nine homes in Ofra on Sunday evening, two days before the scheduled move.

In February 2015, the High Court of Justice ruled that the buildings were built without construction permits, on privately-owned Palestinian land. The court originally ordered the homes to be demolished by February 8, 2017, but granted a one-month delay on January 25 to give security forces extra time to plan the eviction.

Esther Brot, resident of one of the nine houses to be destroyed, told Tazpit Press Service (TPS): “We bought our house in January 2008, but did not imagine that six months later a petition would be filed, one which would triggered the eviction we are experiencing today. We acquired land rights, Tabu (land registry), there were no early signs that such a thing would happen”.

According to TPS sources on the ground, IDF troops and Border police forces have seized control of the southern-most of the nine homes in preparation for evicting residents. The building is the only one that was not occupied and was expected to serve as a focal point for teenage protesters during the eviction process. No outsiders are presently allowed to enter the premises of the house.  The court-ordered demolitions are scheduled for Wednesday.

“We feel a lot of anger, especially regarding the conduct of government which invested here throughout the years in resources, roads, lighting and garbage but at the same time is incapable of providing a logical solution to this problem. This is not granting relief for the sake of justice, not for the evicted and not for the petitioners. Our houses are destroyed when the claimants will not come to live here and will not receive any compensation”.

All youth have left the home in Ofra, in a process coordinated with the community youth director. No clashes were reported and no arrests were made.

The Ofra community called on Monday to Israeli citizens to join in “a popular protest against this injustice, in the Ofra way”.

“We call on the masses to come here and protest with us for the sake of the future, to clamor for the regulation of similar cases. The fight does not end here!.” said Esther Brot to TPS. “The evicted, the community and Rabbi Avi Gisser insist on maintaining the protest to the limits permitted in democracies so violent is out of the question. All we demand, is for us to be recognized as part of the Israeli society, of a collective, and not as second rate citizens as we are considered now”.