Security Cabinet vote to postpone Khan al-Ahmar demolition
21 October, 2018 |
6 years ago
Jerusalem, 21 October, 2018 (TPS) -- The Security Cabinet on Sunday voted in favor of postponing the evacuation and demolition of the Bedouin village Khan al-Ahmar.
A decision was also made to continue talks with residents of the village.
It’s believed that aside of Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, both from The Jewish Home party, the cabinet voted in favour of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s proposal to postpone.
“In accordance with expert recommendation, the cabinet will allow an extension of several weeks for negotiations over the consensual evacuation [of Khan al-Ahmar],” a statement from the Prime Minister Office read.
On Sunday morning, Netanyahu said that Khan al-Ahmar “will be evacuated,” amidst reports on Saturday that the decision had been postponed.
The remarks were made during a meeting with US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem.
“This is our policy and it will be carried out. I have no intention of delaying this [evacuation] until further notice, contrary to what is being reported [in the media], but for a short period,” he said. “The length of time in which it will be possible to try to evacuate it by agreement [from the residents] will be decided upon by the Security Cabinet. I will convene it today. We will decide; it will be short and I believe it will also be by agreement.”
