The State submitted its response this evening (Monday) to the Supreme Court on the petitions calling for the evacuation of the illegal Bedouin outpost of Khan al-Ahmar, in which it called on the court to dismiss the petitions.
The Supreme Court ordered the illegal outpost demolished years ago, but successive Israeli governments have delayed carrying out the orders even as Jewish outposts in Judea and Samaria have been demolished.
The response was delayed by one day to allow for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold a consultation on the issue with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
In its response, the State claimed that there is “classified material” that affects the timing of the eventual demolition of the illegal outpost.
The response states: “This affidavit was completed after a discussion held yesterday chaired by the Prime Minister and with the participation of the Minister of Defense, the Additional Minister in the Ministry of Defense, the Minister of National Security, the Minister of Justice, the National Security Adviser and the head of the National Security Council, as well as the Cabinet Secretary. As part of this discussion, political considerations are necessary for all the issues at hand, including the decisions of the honorable court.”
“The position of the political echelon, as formulated during the aforementioned meeting, is that the question of the timing and manner of implementing the orders is affected by broad and diverse political and security considerations. As such, and taking into account the classified information that informs these considerations, the position of the political echelon is that the decision regarding the question of the timing and manner in which the demolition orders in Khan al-Ahmar should be left in their hands, and that there was no reason for the honorable court’s intervention in this complex and sensitive decision,” the State added.

The Regavim Movement said in response to the State’s position: “Every state has its ‘silver platter,’ the sacrifice that makes the establishment of the state possible. Unfortunately, tragically, on the eve of Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day), when Israel remembers the sacrifice of our fallen, the silver platter that made the modern State of Israel a reality – the Israeli government has created the silver platter on which we will be handing the Palestinian Authority a state in the heartland of Israel: the illegal outpost known as Khan al-Ahmar.”