Delay sought in demolition of West Bank settlement of Amona

AMONA , Israel, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Israel's State Attorney's Office requested a postponement of the evacuation and demolition of Amona, a settlement in the West Bank.

Two years ago Israel's High Court of Justice ruled the community for Jewish settlers was built on land privately owned by Palestinians, and ordered its demolition by Dec. 25. The Attorney's Office asked for a seven-month extension Monday, saying it cannot yet provide alternative living arrangements for the population of about 200.

Amona residents oppose the move, writing in a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that they intend to "mount a public, popular struggle -- respectable and difficult -- that would unite all of our supporters, both within the outpost and without. This will be the fight of our lives for our home."

A statement from Yish Din, an organization representing the Palestinian landowners, said in a statement the proposed postponement "is an insult to the law and an insult to the High Court. The court gave the state two years to prepare for the evacuation of Amona, precisely to avoid any last-minute political evasion attempts. The request provides no real reason to postpone the evacuation, and we hope the court rejects it quickly."

The settlement is one of several encouraged by the Israeli government on land regarded by Palestinians as their sovereign territory, should a two-state solution be implemented in the Middle East.