Israel’s Supreme Court rejected the Israeli government’s request to delay the razing of the Ulpana neighborhood in the West Bank settlement of Beit El.
In upholding its ruling of last September, the panel of judges ordered that the neighborhood of several apartment buildings be razed by July 1.The court also ordered the government to pay the legal expenses of the Palestinian owners of the property, as well as $4,000 in damages.
In September, the high court ruled that the five apartment buildings found to be built on private Palestinian land be razed by May 1. The state told the court that it would obey the ruling. On April 27, however, the State Attorney’s Office notified the court that the government would wait pending a review of its policies regarding West Bank structures built on contested land. — jta