Migron outpost residents lose fight to return
State attorney orders that remaining buildings be cleared of contents
Stuart Winer is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel.
The state attorney has ruled against allowing former residents of the unauthorized Migron outpost to return to their homes, and ordered that buildings at the controversial site near Ramallah be cleared of their contents.
An important factor in the decision was the suspicion that purchase papers presented by settlers were fraudulent, Army Radio reported on Thursday.
The anti-settlement NGO Peace Now said the decision could influence future legal action against settler outposts.
“The settlers in Migron acted illegally and improperly,” Peace Now director Yariv Oppenheimer told Army Radio. “I hope that Migron becomes a symbol for the settlers in that they can’t just take over any piece of land or hilltop — and especially when it is privately owned Palestinian land.
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The 50 families living in the Migron outpost left their homes in September 2012 in accordance with court orders, which said the land belonged to local Palestinians.
To settlers, the hilltop looming over Route 60 north from the capital has historical relevance — King Saul is depicted in the Bible as having camped there with his army while defending Jerusalem — and is a parcel of land that proved itself crucial security-wise during the Second Intifada.
Mitch Ginsburg contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.