Israel's Supreme Court ruled Dec. 26 to demolish a Jewish settlement at Amona in the West Bank. The ruling resulted from a lawsuit brought decades ago by Palestinians who claimed to own the landa of the settlement, which has been deemed "one of the oldest and most contentious Jewish settlement outposts in the West Bank." The court agreed early on that the land belonged to the group of Palestinians and ordered the settlement demolished in 2012, but granted a number of extensions on the date of demolition. As a result of the ruling, approximately 300 residents of the settlement will need to move within the next two years.
In 2006 the Israeli Supreme Court rejected residents' appeal of the ruling in favor of the Palestinian group and police forcibly evacuated several buildings at the settlement at Amona, demolishing nine houses illegally built on Palestinian land. As Israeli troops evacuated the buildings during that time, civilians clashed with police in violent protests.
From Jurist, Dec. 26. Used with permission.
The first such ruling against a West Bank settlement by the Israeli high court was in 2011. The Migron settlement's removal the following year sparked "price tag" attacks.
