Preparations are being made for 5,000 Yesha-supporters to arrive in Migron
in case of an attempted evacuation. Yesha Council leaders say that the planned
destruction could be a shocking prelude to what the government is planning.

Preparations are being made for 5,000 Yesha-supporters to arrive in Migron in
case of an attempted evacuation – but it appears that the efforts to block
the traumatic uprooting have already begun. Migron residents, led by Binyamin
Regional Council head Pinchas Wallerstein, blocked Highway 60 – the main artery
from Jerusalem to the Shomron – last night, preventing police from impounding
two trucks that were delivering supplies to the community. Only after the IDF
local brigade commander arrived on the scene and arranged for the police to
abandon their mission, did the protestors reopen the road.

Wallerstein, speaking with Arutz-7 today, acknowledged that the government is
making serious plans to uproot the town and its 43 families in the coming
days:
“Sharon and Mofaz know from experience that it will take too long to do so if
they follow the normal legal process, so therefore they’re trying a bypass
route: using the IDF Central District Commander as the military governor, whose
decisions are all but un-challengeable…”

At the same time, Deputy Education Minister Tzvi Hendel (National Union) says
that he knows that Mofaz has in fact failed in his attempt to find an
extra-legal way to uproot Migron.

Migron is located in the Benjamin Regional Council district of the Shomron,
just five kilometers north of the Jerusalem neighborhood of N’vei Yaakov. “If
they succeed in uprooting it,” Wallerstein said, “this will really cause a
tremendous shock wave: It will be the first time that a community of this size,
with babies born there and with lots of government permits, will be uprooted.
The only thing that it can be compared to is the destruction of Yamit [a small
city in Sinai that was evacuated and demolished in honor of the peace agreement
with Egypt in 1982]. For a right-wing government to dare to do such a thing
would be a social-national shock of the first degree.”

Wallerstein continued,
“Migron is symbol of the desire to uproot Jews from Judea and Samaria,
straight and simple. This is how we must view it. It is obvious that if Migron is to
be uprooted, there is certainly no intention to allow Psagot, Ofrah, Beit El
and Shiloh to remain in place, as they are even further from Jerusalem and
with more Arabs around them. The destruction of Migron, Heaven forbid, is the
beginning of a clear trend to take Jews out of their homes in the Land of Israel.
And this is how we must see it, and I hope that rabbis and public figures
will relate to it this way, just as Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu did. His letter of
‘Whoever is for the L-rd, rally around me!’ is the strongest that I have seen,
and he said that he himself will be there if the order comes to uproot…
[Excerpts from the letter can be seen at
"www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=54472"]
“If 5,000 people come to resist, the evacuation has no chance of
succeeding… [Defense Minister] Mofaz says, with admirable candor, that this is just the
beginning, and that there are other lists that are being prepared of places to
be dismantled. These lists are compiled based on various pressures – not only
from [the U.S.] but also from within; I tell you, it is truly staggering to
see the heights of the hatred among the left-wing, and their desire to clash
with us. It is a very difficult situation, and we have to be extra careful and
make sure that we don’t reach a civil war – but at the same time there will be
firmness and extreme dedication.”

The town of Migron never received all its written permits, but its
construction was rushed along and encouraged by many national and local government
offices. In particular, a road was paved, caravans and playgrounds were stationed
at the site, and security and other help was provided. The name Migron is
mentioned twice in the Bible: once in connection with King Saul’s battle with the
Philistines in the area of Binyamin (Sam. I 14,2), as well as in Isaiah 10, 28.

The welcome sign at the entrance to Migron announces the community’s mission
statement: “Migron, a communal town, was founded on the 19th of Adar 5762
[March 3, 2002], despite difficulties – out of the belief in the Eternity of
Israel. The force that drives us is the knowledge that the unity of Nation, Faith,
and Land brings peace and redemption. Welcome.”

Arutz-7 has learned that Amanah Settlement Organization head Ze’ev Chever
will disclose documents this afternoon proving that Migron is not an “outpost,”
but a full-fledged community. He will produce zoning plans and other government
documents showing intentions to develop Migron. Chever will also display
contracts showing that the land on which Migron lies was legally purchased from
Arabs living in PA-controlled areas. Some of the purchases were made in the past
several days.

Tourism Minister Benny Elon (National Union) said that he himself would come
to Migron if evacuation orders are issued. “Jews must not be uprooted within
their Land,” he wrote to members of the Moledet party he heads. “The Israeli
government, which aids the construction of outposts in the Land of Israel, must
not cut them down because of transient political considerations.” Knesset
Members of the opposition Shas party have also promised their support.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 17th, 2003 and is filed under hotnews.