Smotrich says he rejects government’s planned retreat from evacuating Khan al-Ahmar

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says he opposes the reported government plan to ask the High Court of Justice to dismiss a standing petition seeking to force the state to evacuate Khan al-Ahmar, an illegal Bedouin encampment in the West Bank.

Reports earlier today said the government will cite ongoing talks with the residents of Khan al-Ahmar on a compromise plan that would resettle them elsewhere, and will also claim that a forced evacuation would have far-reaching diplomatic and security consequences.

A standing court order to evacuate the village has been pushed off repeatedly for four years, largely owing to significant public interest from human rights activists, pro-Palestinian groups and the European Union. Right-wing politicians, including many in the current government, have for years been demanding that the government evacuate it.

According to various Hebrew media reports, Smotrich — a longtime advocate for demolishing the hamlet — has written a letter to Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs seeking to immediately halt the filing of the state’s response to the High Court petition.

“To my surprise, I have discovered that the response does not align with my policy and the government’s policy as I understand it,” Smotrich reportedly writes, adding that according to coalition agreements, such responses must receive his approval.

“By virtue of my authority, I don’t approve the filing of the response,” he adds, demanding an “urgent discussion” on the matter.