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| By israelinsider staff March 20, 2007 |
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Approximately 300 youths, including yeshiva students, inhabited an empty Palestinian home in Hebron on Monday evening.
The settlers claim they own the house and have ownership papers to prove so.
A spokesman of the Jewish community in Hebron said, "We entered a new house that was bought in Hebron. It is a large house on the hill leading to Kiryat Arba."
The Yesha Council expressed their support for the settlers, saying they are "continuing in the path of our father Abraham, who bought the Cave of the Patriarchs."
Meanwhile, an Arab resident of Hebron, Bayez Rajabe, claimed, "I own the whole house and I have all the documents to prove it," he said to Ynetnews.
He added, "The settlers say they bought the house from a Palestinian living in Jordan. They can buy the house from whoever they want, but the house is mine and I am the sole owner. I have never had any contact with them before."
Rajabe went to the Hebron police station to file a complaint about the situation.
Oren Zach, one of the students who has inhabited the home, dismissed Rajabe's claims, saying that the he was saying he did not sell the house "out of his fear of revenge from other Palestinians."
The Jerusalem Post reported that, in an interview with Army Radio, Zach said the house was sold legally and that police were in the midst of an investigation to determine the rightful owner of the house.
Settlers will not be evicted
Police told Ynetnews that there are no plans to forcibly remove the settlers from the Hebron house, saying there was no legal basis to do so.
The IDF has been guarding the house since Monday night and will continue to do so until the ownership is determined.
Peace Now, leftwing MK call for immediate evacuation
Meretz chairman Yossi Beilin called on Defense Minister Amir Peretz to remove the settlers from the Palestinian house.
Beilin said that he has advocated a bill to evacuate the entire Jewish community from Hebron, according to Ynetnews.
Yariv Oppenheimer, the secretary-general of Peace Now, said the settlers' actions represent "a dangerous escalation which could set the town on fire."
Oppenheimer added that the settlers should be removed immediately and said "responsibility for the situation is upon the shoulders of Defense Minister Peretz." |
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