The Ofra evictions have begun at 9 AM local time.
Some 100 Border Gourd officers have spread around the community of Ofra in Samaria to begin the evacuation of nine homes slated for demolition by the Supreme Court. The nine homes are situated inside the community in a way that would keep the Arab claimants from ever utilizing the land, nevertheless the court in its wisdom preferred to destroy the homes rather than permit the Jewish residents to buy or lease the land at market value from their Arab neighbors.
In contrast with the evacuation of Amona, which was rife with passive and less passive resistance on the part of the residents and their supporters, and a reported vicious violence on the part of police, this time both sides are committed to a peaceful process. Still, some 400 supporters arrived in the besieged community on Monday, and together with the Ofra youth they may pose a more active resistance to government forces.
The families slated for eviction have announced they would not use violence but would not leave on their own, meaning police are kindly invited to carry them out. The families have reportedly packed their belongings in anticipation of their forced removal. According to the IDF Spokesperson, the Kfir family is posing the greatest problem for security forces, as some 150 youths have barricaded themselves there.
Ofra’s spiritual leader Rabbi Avi Geiser said on Tuesday morning that the eviction is “sheer injustice. Soomon’s verdict where no one stands to gain anything. This is destruction for its own sake. Nevertheless, we are law abiding citizens and there will be no violence here, we will obey security forces. We will turn our rage at the court which, time after time, stuns us with its hallucinatory rulings.”