HIGH COURT OF Justice ordered the state to destroy the outposts set up by settlers in the West Bank. The order is the result of petition by Israeli radical left-wing organization ‘Peace Now’, who petitioned the HCoJ thrice since the order was given for the first time in 2004:
The outposts in question are Givat Asaf, Ma’ale Rehav’am, Ramat Gilad, Givat Haroe, Mitzpe Yitzhar, and Mitzpe Lachish, all of which are located in the West Bank.
In May of 2006 the Peace Now movement petitioned the High Court with a demand to evacuate the six outposts. The movement’s claim rested on a 2004 warrant, issued by former Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, which ordered the outposts vacated.
The defense minister in 2006, Amir Peretz, extended the evacuation order by two years following a petition filed by the settlers. Peretz announced that at the end of that period the settlers would be evacuated by force if needed.
In 2007 Peace Now filed another petition, as the evacuation had not yet taken place. Defense Minister Ehud Barak announced in 2008 that the order would be extended for an additional year, during which time the state would attempt negotiation with the settlers.
Some of the illegal outposts are named after people killed in terrorist attacks by Palestinians against Israelis. The aforementioned Giv’at Assaf was named after Assaf Hershkowitz, citizen of settlement of Ofrah, ambushed by terrorists in 2001. Assaf was the son of Arye, who was murdered by terrorists several months prior to Assaf’s death.
