September 3, 2012
Jewish families leave Migron outpost
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Israeli police remove Jewish settlers from a roof during the eviction of the unauthorised Israeli settler-outpost of Migron, near the West Bank city of Ramallah Sept. 2. Photo by REUTERS/Nir Elias
All of the Jewish families living in the West Bank outpost of Migron reportedly have evacuated.
Families began moving out Sunday morning, as border police went door to door in the outpost handing out eviction notices. Some of the 50 families living on the hilltop reportedly left Saturday night. At least 40 families had vacated by mid-afternoon.
Israel's Supreme Court ruled last week that the outpost must be evacuated by Sept. 4.
The ruling was in response to a petition filed by the families requesting a delay in the eviction until the modular homes being built for the evacuees are completed. They reportedly will not be habitable for several weeks. The families are expected to go to temporary housing in a nearby college dormitory until the modular homes are available.
The outpost's homes must be razed by Sept. 11, with the exception of the homes of the 17 families who claimed in a petition to the court that they have purchased or repurchased the plots on which their homes are located. That apartment building reportedly will be allowed to stand, empty, until the claim is investigated.
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 families reportedly decided that they will leave the outpost peacefully, though some will wait for police to remove them.
But on Sunday morning dozens of young demonstrators came to Migron and took over a building that had already been evacuated, in a show of protest. Police were removing them forcibly by mid-morning Sunday. Some 70 teens living in nearby settlements were forcibly removed from Migron on Sunday, at least four were detained by police.
Graffiti painted by the settlers on their homes included: “Migron we shall return” and “the eternal people does not fear the long road," and “Begin = Sinai, Sharon = Gush Katif, Bibi = Migron. Only the Likud can.”
