The Regavim movement which monitors and prosecutes illegal construction across Israel, including Judea and Samaria, issued a statement following the terrorist murder of an Israeli policeman during eviction-related riots at the illegal Umm al Hiran outpost in southern Israel Wednesday morning, calling on government to “immediately restore the rule of law in southern Israel, where Islamist agitators have infiltrated illegal Arab-Israeli settlements to incite violence against Jewish-Israelis and security forces.”
The Regavim statement notes that after a decade of appealing multiple Supreme Court rulings to evacuate the site, “illegal squatters in the Hiran area have chosen to use violence and murder to force the hand of the authorities, emboldened by anti-Israel NGOs and Arab-Israeli lawmakers. This is unacceptable and must be quashed. Years of incitement led to the murder of an Israeli Policeman this morning.”
“It is unfortunate that so much fake news regarding the decade-long legal battle have spread like wildfire,” Regavim lamented, explaining that “the squatters have been offered free plots of land in the nearby town of Hura, or advantageous terms to continue living in new homes in Hiran. Both deals come with generous monetary compensation, despite their living on the site illegally. [However,] instead of accepting the unprecedented offer, [the Arab squatters] have chosen to use violence to force the hand of the authorities. Regavim calls on the Israeli government to quash the incitement and return the rule of law to Southern Israel.”
Regavim describes itself as a “legal advocacy organization, dedicated to ensuring responsible, legal and accountable use of Israel’s national land. By investigating claims on the ground level, Regavim protects national land interests, presenting its findings in the form of white papers and legal action, in addition to briefing the press and diplomatic corps.”