Israeli police evict Palestinian activists from tent village

Activists protesting a planned Israeli development gather at a tent village before it was dismantled by Israeli police on Sunday. (Majdi Mohammed / Associated Press / January 12, 2013)

By Maher Abukhater

January 12, 2013, 10:24 p.m.

JERUSALEM -- Palestinian activists were evicted Sunday from a tent village they had set up Friday on a large plot of land east of Jerusalem that Israel has designated as the site of a new settlement.

Israeli police raided the site known as E-1 after the Israeli government told the Supreme Court that evacuating the activists was a top national security matter. The court Friday had delayed eviction proceedings, giving the government six days to explain why it would want to remove the protesters.

Activists said the police carried the approximately 100 activists from the site, and then allowed them to return home. Police also removed 25 tents from the area. There were no injuries or arrests.

FOR THE RECORD:
Palestinian tents: An article in the Jan. 14 Section A about a police raid on a tent village set up by Palestinian activists on land that Israel has designated as the site of a new settlement said that the tents were removed. The activists were evicted, but the tents were left standing pending a court appeal. —

Israel plans to build thousands of housing units as part of the E-1 project, which Palestinians and much of the international community have condemned as a step that could disrupt travel between the northern and southern portions of the West Bank and make it more difficult for the Palestinians to create a cohesive state.

Israel has said it may be many years before the project actually breaks ground.

ALSO:

Saudi king chooses women for spots on advisory council

French agent, soldier reported killed in botched raid in Somalia

Year after wreck, salvage of Costa Concordia falls behind schedule

Comments (37)

Add / View comments | Discussion FAQ

Archibald at 11:10 PM January 15, 2013

Can you Archie, condemn Abbas, when he demands that a future Palestinian state be completely “Judenfrei”?

Yes, when Palestinians live in E-1.

Archibald at 10:58 PM January 15, 2013

stedinger wrote, “I support a two state solution. Archie, you've failed twice when asked, to explain why Jordan is not, or should not form a part of a Palestinian state?”

Let’s get hunky dory.

One state between the Mediterranean Sea and Jordan, the majority of population would be Arab.

Maybe, I misunderstand you. You do not support the Jewish-state of Israel.

miller57 at 7:55 PM January 15, 2013

While Israelis are busy punching and kicking Palestinians off their land we in the U.S. can't even get a defense secretary appointed for fear he might of offended these "sensitive" people.

Comments are filtered for language and registration is required. The Times makes no guarantee of comments' factual accuracy. Readers may report inappropriate comments by clicking the Report Abuse link next to a comment. Here are the full legal terms you agree to by using this comment form.