By Tzvi Lev/TPS
Ofrah (TPS) – Zionist Union MK Eitan Broshi visited the hilltop community of Amona in addition to the nine houses in Ofra that are slated for destruction and voiced support for a political deal that would save the sites.
“The government is stammering and hesitating in regards to the future of settlement in Judea and Samaria,” said Broshi. “I hope that the Zionist Union will support any government decision to legalize the structures.”
Amona, which has 400 residents and was founded in 1995, is scheduled to be destroyed in December in the wake of a 2015 High Court of Justice ruling that determined that it was built on private Arab land. The residents of the community contend that since the state supported its establishment and installed electricity and water there, it is the state’s responsibility to figure out a solution for the residents to remain there.
“It is also unacceptable to raze nine houses in Ofra, and the state must do what it can to legalize them and to allow for normal life here,” he contended.
The state has been trying to find a solution to the Amona issue and is now attempting to relocate the community to an adjacent plot of land. The attorney general ruled on Monday that there are no legal impediments to the plan.
Broshi is the first member of the left-leaning Zionist Union party to visit Amona, a fact that was not lost on its residents. “Even Member of Knesset Broshi was honest enough to support our campaign despite the political gap between us. Even he understands that a community that the state established must remain in place,” said an Amona spokesperson.
Binyamin Regional Council Chairman Avi Roeh praised Broshi for his visit. “Eitan Broshi is a man who is dedicated to settling the regions of Binyamin, Judea, Samaria, and all of the Land of Israel,” he exclaimed. “I am happy that he has taken the time today to assist and support us.”
