Israeli PM opposes court order to demolish illegal houses in West Bank

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that his government opposes a High Court order to demolish two illegal buildings in the West Bank settlement of Beit El.

His remark came after paramilitary Border Police forces took over the so-called Dreinoff Buildings overnight. The move followed an order by the Supreme Court to demolish the 24-apartment buildings by July 30 because they were built on private Palestinian land.

About 50 settlers have been arrested, after barricading themselves and clashing with police forces for hours, a police spokesperson said.

Hardliner cabinet ministers and settler activists reacted angrily to the evacuation, denouncing Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon for allegedly betraying their settler allies.

"It is high time for this government to lead the (right-wing) ideology for which it was elected, instead of promoting leftist moves," leader of the pro-settler Jewish Home faction Naftali Bennett said in a statement. He also demanded Netanyahu to clarify the government's position on the demolition.

Hours after the evacuation, Netanyahu released a soothing message to the settlers, saying: "Our stance on the buildings in Beit El is very clear: We opposed the demolition and are taking legal action to prevent this move."

Noting he discussed the matter with Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein on Tuesday morning, Netanyahu said that the government's stance against the demolition will be "brought to the Supreme Court for attention."

"We are actively trying to strengthen the settlements, in accordance with the law," he added.

Over the past months, Defense Minister Ya'alon has worked to retroactively approve the Dreinoff Buildings, which were built without proper permits from Israeli planning bodies.

Last week, the higher planning committee of the military's Civil Administration held an emergency meeting, retroactively legalizing the buildings.

Israel's Ha'aretz newspaper reported that the contractor of the buildings was expected to petition the court on Tuesday on the basis of the recent permit, asking justices to rescind the demolition order. The state is expected to support the contractor's appeal, Ha'aretz reported.

Also early on Tuesday, about 250 far-right activists arrived at the former Jewish illegal settlement of Sa-Nur, in the northern West Bank, which was evacuated by Israeli forces in 2005. A military statement said that the army informed the group, which included parliament members and former residents, that they must leave the site by 14:00 (11AM GMT,) otherwise they will be forcefully evicted.

Since Sa-Nur was evacuated as part of the 2005 Disengagement plan from Gaza, former Sa-Nur residents have made several attempts to rebuild their settlement.

Israel occupied the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war and has controlled it ever since.

The settlements are built on lands the Palestinians see as their future state, and are considered illegal under international law.