The Supreme Court gave the government 10 days today to show cause why Elon March should not be evacuated without delay. The order nisi was handed down in response to an appeal filed yesterday by 18 Arab landowners from Nobles and Rajeev village, against the five-week extension that the Cabinet granted the Elon Moreh settlers on Dec. 30.
Justice Alfred Vitkon acted for the high court in this instance. He was one of the panel of five judges who ruled last Oct. 22 that Elon March was established illegally on seized Arab lands and must be removed in 30 days. The Cabinet, acting on its own initiative; granted two extensions of the deadline.
Today, liked MK Dov Shilansky expressed dissatisfaction with the way Attorney General Yitzhak Zamir has hand led the government’s case in this matter and asked the justice Minister to appoint a special panel of private attorneys to reply to the latest court order. Zamir had warned the Cabinet last month that the government would have a hard time defending the new extension granted Elon March. Shilarsky said if the government can’t defend itself, the entire issue should be referred to private lawyers who can.
It was reported meanwhile that the Elon March settlers have modified the conditions under which they would be willing to move from Elon March to a new settlement being built for them at Djebil Kebir They said they would leave if the government pledged to initiate legislation to change the legal status of the West Bank in a way that would bar future court challenges to Jewish settlements. Until now they have said they would refuse to budge before such legislation is adopted.
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