Israel and the West Bank “outposts”; an abusive relationship with two willing partners:
If George Mitchell, America’s special envoy to the Middle East, wants an advance estimate on the reliability of Israeli promises to evacuate outposts, he may find the High Court of Justice discussion on the outpost of Migron helpful.
The state’s request to be granted another year-long extension before having to evacuate the outpost by law offers a sad glimpse into the situation, and reveals the gaps between the official declarations of the Netanyahu administration and the actual law enforcement in the territories.
On Monday, the justices held yet another discussion on the petition filed by human rights group Peace Now and Arab land owners, seeking to have settlers removed from the area. While the court session was underway, Defense Minister Ehud Barak was meeting with Mitchell in another time zone. Alongside declarations on regional peace, Barak promised that 23 West Bank outposts would be evacuated within “weeks and months, not years.”