The Illegal Precedent for Ulpana's Relocation

The settlers of the Ulpana neighborhood of Beit El will soon be moved to a nearby military base. Although the Civil Administration has not given it’s (legally required) approval, construction has already begun, as the government has claimed it is an “immediate military necessity."

In 1979 the Supreme Court ruled that it is illegal to expropriate land for military purposes and then turn it into a civilian settlement. But the Ulpana settlers will not be alone in their violation of this ruling: Hebron settlers have been living inside a military base since 1990. 

In 2008, Peace Now brought a case against the Hebron settlement. Their petition was rejected in 2010 because of the delay between the founding of the settlement–1990–and the petition–2008. But the state published two internal opinions, agreeing that the settlement is illegal; but it's clearly not illegal enough to prevent it from happening again.