Police Battle Jewish Israelis Protesting Order to Remove Buildings from Post-’67 Community

Violence escalated on Wednesday as protestors continued to battle police and border police in the West Bank city of Beit El as security officials began the destruction of two buildings after the High Court of Justice refused to stay the demolition order. Seeking to calm the situation with a political fig leaf for the right-wing throngs that support Jewish building on land Israel acquired in the 1967 war, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced immediate construction approval for 300 new housing units for Beit El. The crowd, estimated to be in the hundreds, swelled with the presence of politicians seeking the approval of their constituents before an image standing in stark counterpoint to the more common scene of Palestinian building also constructed without proper permits being destroyed while demonstrators carry-on. In Beit El, rocks were thrown at police while trash dumpsters and tires were set on fire. Education Minister Naftali Bennett addressed the crowd which in turn called for him to resign from the Netanyahu government. The protest has come to symbolize public rejection of the Gaza withdrawal ten years later. Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed support of the goal of legalizing the two structures, but insisted it be done through legal channels. On Wednesday, the British Foreign Office issued a condemnation of newly announced plans for building in Israeli communities located on land acquired in the 1967 war.